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Smoking influences the association between apolipoprotein E and lipids: The national heart, lung, and blood institute family heart study

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Lipids

Abstract

Apolipoprotein E allele 4 (apo ɛ4) and smoking each have been associated with an unfavorable lipid profile. We used data collected on 1,472 subjects in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study to assess whether smoking interacts with apo ɛ4 to influence the levels of plasma lipids. We dichotomized smoking and apo ɛ4 and used analysis of covariance to estimate the means of lipids. Smokers had lower body mass index, were younger, and consumed less fruits and vegetables. Among individuals without apo ɛ4, comparing nonsmokers with smokers, mean low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) was 129.3 and 134.4 mg/dL, respectively, for women and 126.1 and 127.6 mg/dL, respectively, for men. Among subjects with an apo ɛ4 allele, corresponding means were 132.0, and 152.9 mg/dL, respectively, for women and 131.3 and 137.3 mg/dL, respectively, for men (P for interaction <0.001 for women and 0.11 for men). A similar interaction was observed for total cholesterol among women (P=0.02). This study shows a statistically significant effect modification of the relation of apo ɛ4 to LDL and total cholesterol by smoking among women. Smoking may enhance genetic susceptibility to an unfavorable lipid profile among subjects with apo ɛ4.

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Abbreviations

Apo ɛ4 :

apolipoprotein E allele ɛ4

ARIC:

Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities

BMI:

body mass index

CHD:

coronary heart disease

HDL:

high density lipoprotein cholesterol

LDL:

low density lipoprotein cholesterol

Ln:

natural logarithm

NHLBI:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology, Evans Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Room B-612, 715 Albany St., 02118, Boston, Massachusetts

    Luc Djoussé, Richard H. Myers & R. Curtis Ellison

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

    Hilary Coon

  3. Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Donna K. Arnett

  4. Division of Biostatistics, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri

    Michael A. Province

Authors
  1. Luc Djoussé
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  2. Richard H. Myers
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  3. Hilary Coon
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  4. Donna K. Arnett
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  5. Michael A. Province
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  6. R. Curtis Ellison
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Correspondence to Luc Djoussé.

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Djoussé, L., Myers, R.H., Coon, H. et al. Smoking influences the association between apolipoprotein E and lipids: The national heart, lung, and blood institute family heart study. Lipids 35, 827–831 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/S11745-000-0591-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S11745-000-0591-1

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