Distribution of lipoprotein phenotypes, cholesterol, and lipids in inner-city blacks.

Lipoprotein phenotypes total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels were obtained from blood samples of 189 patients attending the Drew Hamilton Clinic in Central Harlem, New York, between 1987 and 1988. The study population ranged in age from 7 to 88 years; 135 of the patients were females and 54 were males. A difference in distribution of lipoprotein phenotypes was observed compared with the general population of the United States. Sixty-seven percent of blacks in this study were Type IIA compared with an estimated 10% of the general US population. Differences also were observed for blacks versus the general US population for Type IV (24% versus 45%), Type IIB (9% versus 40%), and Type V (0% versus 5%). Types I and III were rare in both groups (0% versus < 1%). The increased frequency of Type IIA among this predominantly black inner-city population may have implications for treatment strategies and prognostic value for predicting the risk of coronary heart disease.