Serum Lipids and Obesity in Korean, Korean-Chinese, and Han-Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

Recently the level of serum lipids and obesity has been increasing especially among children and adolescents in Korea. However, the association between obesity and serum lipids is not clear in the lean population. We therefore examined the relation of body mass index (BMI) and serum lipids among Korean-Urban, Korean-Rural, Korean-Chinese, and Han-Chinese adolescents aged 16 to 18 years. A total of 2,345 high school students aged 16-18 years from Korean-Urban (Seoul in Korea, n=523), Korean-Rural (Yangpyong County in Korea, n=671), Korean-Chinese (Yanji City in China, n=701), and Han-Chinese (Yanji City in China, n=450). These findings indicate that the prevention of dyslipidemia and obesity is urgent in developing countries, particularly for adolescents in urban areas. Serum lipids, especially HDL-cholesterol would be possible to be influenced by behavioral risk factors and the effect might be independent of obesity in the lean population. Therefore we need to do further migrant study to search factors which influence the biomarkers of CHD in the lean population.