Prevalence of hyperlipoproteinaemia in apparently healthy men.

Lipoprotein typing was carried out on 4385 apparently healthy male subjects at work in the Glasgow conurbation of the West of Scotland. Subjects werefasting and the investigations undertaken were cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein paper electrophoresis, and preparative ultracentrifugation when necessary. 29*5 per cent of subjects were normal in terms of history, weight, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and all smoked less than 5 cigarettes daily. The overall prevalence of hyperlipoproteinaemia was 15.3 per cent and consisted of I2 per cent type IV and 3'3 per cent type II hyperlipoproteinaemia. Type IIa abnormality occurred morefrequently than type IIb. There was a significantly higher prevalence (17.6%, P< o.oI) of type IV abnormality in the obese group. In normal subjects the prevalence of type II abnormality was 3-I per cent, whereas that of type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia was 7 per cent.