Blood lipids, fatty acids, diet and lifestyle parameters in adolescents from a region in northern Norway with a high mortality from coronary heart disease

Abstract

Introduction: Students aged 13 and 14 y, in a region in northern Norway with high blood cholesterol levels and high mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the adult population, were studied with respect to lifestyle, dietary habits, nutritional intake and blood lipids including fatty acids in serum. The students came from a coastal community with seawater fish as an important part of the traditional diet, and an inland community with meat from reindeer as a major constituent of the diet. Objective: To investigate whether the traditional diet was maintained among the adolescents and to evaluate the lifestyle and blood lipids. The study was followed up after 1 y. Results: The adolescents from the coastal region did not maintain the traditional diet. In the inland region the students had a high intake of meat, probably reflecting the traditional food culture. The inland boys had higher mean body mass index (BMI) than the coastal boys, and 12% had BMI>28, as compared to none of the coastal boys. Other findings showed that the students had higher levels of blood cholesterol than in the south of Norway and several other countries (about 25% had total cholesterol >5.2 mmol=l), higher intake of dietary sugar and fat than the national recommendations and little intake of seawater fish with corresponding low levels of n-3 fatty acids. This did not change after 1 y of follow up. Some 10 -20% reported daily smoking and 8 -13% reported that they rarely or never did physical exercise. About 30% of the students presented no factors negatively related to development of cardiovascular disease.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate, in the majority of students at the age of 13 and 14 y, the appearance of factors contributing to development of cardiovascular disease (CHD).

A prevalência cumulativa de fatores de risco para doença cardiovascular em adolescentes iranianos: IHHP-HHPC

“…9 In a study performed in Norway, about 30% of the students presented no factors negatively related to development of CVD. 10 The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study revealed a high prevalence of risk factors in children and adolescents aged 3-18 years. 11 A survey in Sweden showed a CVD risk indicators clusters in adolescents, being more pronounced in girls from a low socio-economic status.…”

Cumulative prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in Iranian adolescents: IHHP-HHPC

“…Os resultados do European Youth Heart Study mostraram que crianças dinamarquesas, mais participantes do que o esperado, apresentaram quatro a cinco fatores de risco para DCA 9 . Em um estudo realizado na Noruega, cerca de 30% dos alunos não apresentaram nenhum fator negativamente relacionado ao desenvolvimento de DCA 10 . O estudo de risco cardiovascular em jovens (Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns) revelou uma alta prevalência de fatores de risco em crianças e adolescentes com idades entre 3 e 18 anos 11 .…”

Serum fatty acid composition in primary school children is associated with serum cholesterol levels and dietary fat intake

“…However, body fatty acid composition reflects the quality of dietary fat and the type of fat consumed over a long period (Hunter et al, 1992;Lee et al, 2000;Brox et al, 2002).…”

“…Fatty acid intake estimated by either the dietary record or duplicated meal measurements alone is either unreliable or too complicated (Hunter et al, 1992). However, body fatty acid composition reflects the quality of dietary fat and the type of fat consumed over a long period (Hunter et al, 1992;Lee et al, 2000;Brox et al, 2002). To date, the serum fatty acid profile has not been documented for children in Taiwan.…”