Regulation of small dense LDL concentration in Korean and Scottish men and woman.

Small dense LDL is now emerging as an important risk factor for coronary artery disease. The amount of the LDL III has been reported to differ between ethnic groups. To investigate differences in the distribution of LDL subfractions between Korean and Scottish populations, we measured the plasma concentration and percent distribution of three major LDL subfractions in age-and sex-matched, middle aged, healthy 124 Korean and Scottish subjects (32 Korean men vs. 32 Scottish men; 30 Korean women vs. 30 Scottish women). Body mass index and waist circumference did not differ between the two ethnic groups. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations were higher in Scottish men compared with Korean men (P<0.01), while plasma triglyceride concentration was higher in Korean men and women (P<0.01 in men, P<0.05 in women). HDL cholesterol concentrations in both Korean men and women were lower than that of their Scottish counterparts (P<0.05 in men; P<0.001 in women). Korean men had lower concentrations of total LDL (242±65 vs. 325±122 mg/dl, P<0.01), LDL I (24±18 vs. 60±36 mg/dl, P<0.001) and LDL II (110±56 vs. 196±78 mg/dl, P<0.001). In contrast, LDL III concentration was markedly higher in Korean men (108±75 vs. 70±65 mg/dl, P<0.05). Likewise, the percent of LDL I (10.0±7.3 vs. 19.1±10.1%, P<0.001) and LDL II (47.2±20.7 vs. 60.1±10.9%, P<0.01) were lower in Korean men, while that of LDL III was higher (42.8±24.9 vs. 20.8±15.0%, P<0.001). In the female population, there were no differences in total LDL and LDL I concentrations between Korean and Scottish. LDL II concentration was lower in Korean women (106±53 vs. 151±57 mg/dl, P<0.01). Korean women showed a higher percent of LDL III (24.8±24.7 vs. 14.2±5.9%, P<0.05) and a lower LDL II (47.8±19.1 vs. 61.0±10.0%, P