Ten-Year Survival in 75-Year-Old Men and Women : Predictive Ability of Total Cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C

Abstract EN

Objective.

The purpose of this study was to investigate prognostic impact of cholesterol and its subfractions among 75-year-old people from the general population.

Methods and Results.

The study comprised a random sample (222 women and 210 men) from the general population (participation rate 70%).

During 10-year follow-up, 19% of women and 35% of men experienced a major cardiovascular event (MCVE).

The all-cause mortality was 29% for women and 47% for men.

After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, a low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly associated with MCVE (P=.006) and mortality (P=.011) in men but not in women.

The prognostic sex disparity was nearly significant (P=.051 for MCVE and .067 for mortality).

The associations of adjusted HDL-C to MCVE and mortality were unchanged after excluding individuals with prevalent stroke or MI.

Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were not significantly related to prognosis in either sex.

Main Conclusions.

HDL-C was associated with dismal prognosis in men but not in women.

Elderly men with HDL-C <40 mg/dL deserve particular attention for cardiovascular prevention.