American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 10, 403-409, Copyright © 1962 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Serum Lipid Levels Among Rural Guatemalan Indians

¹ From the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Guatemala, C. A.

The average serum total lipids, lipid phosphorus and cholesterol levels among 251 rural Guatemalan Indians, aged ten to eighty years, from seven Mayan linguistic groups were 775 (standard deviation 174), 7.2 (standard deviation 1.9) and 135 (standard deviation 31) mg. per 100 ml. Although lipid levels were higher in Indian women than in men, this difference was not statistically significant when corrected for disproportionate samples from some linguistic groups. No significant increases were observed with age. Dietary surveys show a fat intake from 7.1 to 8.5 per cent of the total daily calories. Cholesterol levels in urban Guatemalans in the upper income groups were much higher than those observed in rural Guatemalan Indians. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratios, in all age groups, were within normal limits and averaged 0.75. The results presented herein strengthen the concept that there is a significant statistical association among serum lipid levels, dietary factors and the severity of atherosclerosis.

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