HDL cholesterol linked to lower extremity performance in elderly

By Will Boggs, MD

Last Updated: 2008-05-02 12:34:38 -0400 (Reuters Health), May 2, 2008 (Reuters Health delivered by Newstex) --

HDL cholesterol linked to lower extremity performance in elderly

By Will Boggs, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels correlate with lower extremity performance in older nondisabled individuals, according to a report in the April Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"The importance of HDL-C might not be limited to cardiovascular diseases," Dr. Stefano Volpato from University of Ferrara, Italy told Reuters Health. "Older people with low HDL levels might be considered at risk also for other poor health outcomes."

Dr. Volpato and colleagues assessed HDL-C levels and objective measures of lower extremity performance in community-dwelling nondisabled men and women aged 65 and older.

HDL-C levels were significantly associated with all indices of function, the authors report, with participants with the highest HDL-C levels having the best physical performance.

In men, HDL-C levels correlated directly with 4-minute fast walking speed, 400-meter walking speed, and knee extension torque, the report indicates, whereas in women, HDL-C levels correlated significantly only with knee extension torque.

A separate structural equation model that included the effects of inflammation, age, diabetes, and heart disease on knee extension strength implied that inflammation affects HDL-C and knee extension strength but that HDL-C does not exert its influence on strength through its relationship with inflammation.

"We do not have evidence for a causal relationship between HDL-C level and physical performance," Dr. Volpato cautioned. "We are planning to perform longitudinal analyses to confirm these cross-sectional results."

J Am Geriatr Soc 2008;56:621-629.