Relation of Diet to LDL Cholesterol, VLDL Cholesterol, and Plasma Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides in White Adults

The association of diet with low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total triglycerides, as well as with total and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLC), was investigated in a random sample of 4374 white participants aged 20 to 59 years seen by the Lipid Research Clinic Prevalence Study. Carbohydrate and total calories were negatively associated with LDL-C. There was also a statistically significant positive association of LDL-C with the percentage of total calories from fat. These three findings are generally consistent with what other cross-sectional studies have reported for the relation of diet with total cholesterol levels. The only diet variables significantly related to triglyceride levels in both men and women were the percentage of calories from fats, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA), the P/S ratio, and the number of grams of PFA per day, all of which were inversely associated with the level of this lipid. (Arteriosclerosis 2:502-512, November/December 1982)