Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Fractions in Marginalized Roma versus Majority Population

Abstract

The trend of modern clinical biochemistry is to emphasize the composition and the quality of lipoproteins over their quantity. The serum lipoprotein fractions and subfractions were analyzed by the Lipoprint Lipoprotein Subfractions Testing System, the parameters of lipid profile, as total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triacylglycerides (TAG) were determined by an automated selective biochemical analyzer. Our results showed a significantly lower concentration of cholesterol in the LDL fractions 1 and 2 and in the HDL fractions 8 to 10 in Roma compared to the majority population. The most significant differences between Roma and the majority population when considering body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio and the index of central obesity were in very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoproteins, fraction A (IDL-A) and LDL-2. The last two listed were significantly higher in the majority population. VLDL was significantly higher in overweight or obese Roma men and in Roma men with central obesity compared to men from the majority population, as well as in Roma women with normal weight and physiological waist-to-hip ratio compared to the women from majority population. Our study is among the first describing the distribution of lipoprotein subfractions in different ethnic groups.

The profile of HDL-C subfractions and their association with cardiovascular risk in the Hungarian general and Roma populations

“…In a single study published in 2018 by Hubková and her colleagues, the serum lipoprotein profiles of Roma and non-Roma populations from Slovakia were compared and the concentrations of the small HDL subfractions (8 to 10 by Lipoprint test) were described as significantly lower among the Roma 41 . However, whether this phenomenon is a unique feature of the Roma population, or a general characteristic consequence of the reduced HDL-C level found very frequently among them was not investigated.…”

“…The results of multi-adjusted linear regression analyses confirmed that significantly reduced levels of HDL-6 and -7 were associated with Roma ethnicity and all other subfractions were also lower than in the Hungarian general population, although not significantly. These results are not in full harmony with the findings of Hubková et al 41 , who described reduced levels of HDL subfractions 8 to 10 (HDL-S) in Roma compared to the majority of the Slovak population. However, their analyses were based on the result of descriptive statistical analyses and did not adjust for other factors (such as age, sex, and other lipid parameters).…”

Assessment of health status and cardiovascular risk factors in a Roma population sample from South Bulgaria

“…Results report that Roma experience high rates of chronic diseases and associated risk factors. The higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and metabolic disorders among Roma were related to poor social conditions, unhealthy lifestyle and low educational level (14,15). According to the 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice, CVD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and Bulgaria is considered as one of the very-high-risk countries with CVD mortality rates > 450/100,000 for men and > 350/100,000 for women (16).…”