Studies of Serum Cholesterol in 4,244 Men and Women: An Epidemiological and Pathogenetic Interpretation

Abstract

The serum cholesterol level of 1938 males and 2306 females were determined and interpreted in relation to sex, age, and weight. A sharply rising curve was present in the male with a maximum at age 58, followed by a tendency to plateau or decrease beyond this age; the female exhibited a gradual rise to age 65. Ranges by sex and age were constructed. No relation existed between serum cholesterol levels and weight in 2408 subjects studied. A comparison of data from males and females reveals that mean serum cholesterol of the male is lower than that of the female until age 22 at which time it rises sharply above that of the female until the age of 50. Following age 50 the mean of females continues to rise until age 65 while that of males reaches a plateau or decreases slightly after age 59. The means of serum cholesterol were treated in terms of possible relationships to the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. A concept of rate of increase and cumulation of serum cholesterol was proposed and applied to some of the observed epidemiological and pathological aspects of coronary heart disease.