Regional serum cholesterol differences in Belgium: do genetically determined cardiovascular risk factors contribute?

Background Differences in serum lipid distribution and mortality from ischaemic heart disease have repeatedly been reported between Belgian northerners and southerners. We investigated whether serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and apolipoprotein (apo) F polymorphism were involved. Methods Fasting serum lipids, apo A-I and B, and Lp(a) levels were examined in randomly selected, 20–39 year old Belgian males and females from the north (Flanders) and the south (Wallonia) of Belgium (N = 900). Apo E phenotype distribution was investigated in random subsamples from either region (N = 249). Results Mean s... Mehr ...