Apolipoprotein B and AI distributions in the United States, 1988-1991: results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III).
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional national probability survey
What was done
Serum apolipoprotein B (apo B) and apolipoprotein AI (apo AI) were measured in a nationally representative probability sample of noninstitutionalized US civilian residents aged 4 years and older (including non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans) during NHANES III (1988–1991). Assays were standardized against the WHO-IFCC First International Reference Materials.
What was found
Apo B concentrations were similar overall between males and females, lower in black males than other males, low in childhood (approximately 0.80 g/L) increasing to approximately 1.2 g/L in adults, and higher in younger women taking hormones. Apo AI concentrations were higher in females than males, higher in blacks than other groups, constant across age in males (approximately 1.35 g/L), increased from childhood to adulthood in females (approximately 1.30 g/L to approximately 1.55 g/L), and higher in women taking hormones.
Why it matters
This study established the first standardized, nationally representative reference distributions for serum apo B and apo AI across age, sex, and race/ethnicity in the United States.
Limits
The abstract reports approximate point estimates without exact sample size, variance, or confidence intervals. The cross-sectional design cannot determine individual longitudinal trajectories, and data are restricted to the 1988–1991 US civilian population.
Cited by
- supports ApoB levels rise with age.