Cardiovascular risk factors in relation to the serum concentrations of copper and zinc: epidemiological study on children and adolescents in the Spanish province of Navarra.

This investigation was carried out to show the possible association between groups of children with extreme values of copper and zinc concentrations and cardiovascular risk indicators. Serum copper and zinc concentrations were analysed in a group of 3887 children from Navarra, Spain (both sexes. aged 4-17 years). Hypertension, unfavourable serum lipid profile (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and cholesterol/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios), and degree of adiposity (weight, height, subcutaneous skinfolds, Quetelet's index and mean of subcutaneous skinfolds) were evaluated. Positive correlation was found between several lipid parameters and copper and zinc concentrations, i.e. degree of correlation related with age, except for copper/HDL and triglycerides/zinc ratios, where correlation remained negative at all points. Copper levels were correlated with adiposity parameters in an age-dependent fashion (Quetelet's index: r = 0.01 for ages 4-7 years to r = 0.10, p < 0.01 for ages 14-17 years; mean skinfold thickness: r = 0.05 for ages 4-7 years up to r = 0.18, p < 0.01 for ages 14-17 years). Most correlations between lipid parameters and copper and zinc are markedly amplified if adiposity parameters are taken into account. However, the only significant association was the established relation between high copper concentrations (> x + 2SD) and unfavourable serum lipid profile (LDL/HDL > 2.2).