Dietary predictors of serum cholesterol in men: The framingham cohort population

This study examines the cross-sectional relationships between diet and serum cholesterol in a sample of 413 Framingham cohort males, ages 37–70. Regression analyses controlling for age, calories, and coronary heart disease risk factors showed that the direct predictors of serum cholesterol included: fat (g) ( p < 0.05), cholesterol (mg/1000 calories) ( p < 0.05), protein (g and calorie density) ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively), Metropolitan relative weight ( p < 0.05), and systolic blood pressure ( p < 0.001). Fat (calorie density) and cholesterol (mg) were marginally significant direct positive predictors (0.05 ≤ p ≤ 5 0.10). Inverse correlates of serum cholesterol were total carbohydrate (g and calorie density) and simple carbohydrate (calorie density) ( p < 0.001). A marginally inverse correlate of serum cholesterol was complex carbohydrate (calorie density) (0.05 ⩽ p ⩽ 0.10). These cross-sectional results show that dietary variables predict serum cholesterol levels in men independent of other coronary heart disease risk factors.