Increased Plasma 7β-Hydroxycholesterol Concentrations in a Population With a High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

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Abstract
Abstract —The mortality in coronary heart disease among 50- to 54-year-old men is 4 times higher in Lithuania than in Sweden. It was recently suggested that traditional risk factors could not explain this mortality difference. LDL of Lithuanian men showed, however, a lower resistance to oxidation than that of Swedish men. In addition, the plasma concentration of γ-tocopherol, lycopene, and β-carotene were lower in Lithuanian men. In the present investigation, we determined plasma oxysterols in men from Lithuania and Sweden and found that the plasma concentration of 7β-hydroxycholesterol was higher in Lithuanian men, 12±5 versus 9±8 (SD) ng/mL ( P =0.0011). This oxysterol is a cholesterol autoxidation product and there is no indication that it should have an enzymatic origin. Mean LDL oxidation lag time was shorter in Lithuanian men (75±14 versus 90±13 minutes, P P P R =−0.31, P =0.0023). It is suggested that the higher 7β-hydroxycholesterol concentration in Lithuanian men is an indication of an increased in vivo lipid peroxidation.