Differential changes in plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in obese men and women during weight reduction

Levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and other lipoproteins of 73 obese men and women were measured before and after a 16-week weight reduction program. There were significant differences between men and women. In men, a 10.7-kg weight loss was associated with a 5% increased in the HDL-cholesterol level, a 15.8% decrease in the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) level, and a 30.1% increase in the HDL-LDL ratio. Women, in contrast, showed an 8.9-kg weight loss, a 3.3% decrease in the HDL-cholesterol level, a 4.7% decrease in the LDL-cholesterol level, and no significant change in the HDL-LDL ratio. These differences suggest that weight reduction may be an important means of important plasma lipoprotein patterns in men but may be of more limited value in women.

Duke Scholars

Author Kelly D. Brownell Sanford School of Public Policy