Association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and mortality from coronary heart disease among Japanese men and women: the Ibaraki prefectural health study

Aim: the aim of this study was to examine whether non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-hdl-cholesterol) raises the risk of coronary heart disease in a dose-response fashion in a non-obese population with low total cholesterol levels and high hdl-cholesterol levels,such as japanese. methods: a total of 30,802 men and 60,417 women,aged 40 to 79 years with no history of stroke or coronary heart disease,completed a baseline risk factor survey in 1993 under the auspices of the ibaraki prefectural health study. systematic mortality surveillance through 2003 identified 539 coronary heart disease deaths. results: the mean values for non-hdl-cholesterol were 140 mg/dl for men and 151 mg/dl for women. the corresponding mean values were 193 mg/dl and 208 mg/dl total cholesterol and 52 mg/dl and 57 mg/dl hdl-cholesterol,respectively. men with non-hdl-cholesterol ≥ 180 mg/dl had a two-fold higher age-adjusted risk of mortality from coronary heart disease than did those with non-hdl-cholesterol <100 mg/dl,whereas no such association was found for women. the multi-variable hazard ratio for ≥ 180 mg/dl versus <100 mg/dl of non-hdl-cholesterol was 2.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.37 to 3.62) for men and 0.71 (0.37 to 1.34) for women. conclusion: higher concentrations of non-hdl-cholesterol were associated with an increased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease for men,but not for women.