Sex differences in the relationships between obesity, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking and serum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations in a normal population.

In this study of a normal population from a Midland factory, obesity showed a direct relationship to serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels in males but not in females. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 levels were not related to obesity in either sex. Alcohol consumption was associated with increased serum triglyceride levels in males but not in females and serum HDL cholesterol levels were also higher in male drinkers only. Cigarette smoking was associated with increased serum triglyceride levels in both sexes but HDL cholesterol levels were reduced only in female smokers. Apolipoprotein A1 levels were not related to smoking in females.