Objectives: Obesity has often been associated with high low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride plasma concentrations, known risk factors for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Study objective was to evaluate the association of LDL-C and triglyceride plasma concentration with muscle and fat mass in children and adolescents.
Methods: We analyzed data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) to estimate lean muscle and fat mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of participants whose lipid profiles had been examined. Fat mass was operationalized by DXA-determined fat mass index (FMI). Muscle mass was assessed by appendicular lean mass index (aLMI). High LDL-C and triglyceride concentration was defined as above 130 mg/dL.
Results: For the evaluation of the association of LDL-C and triglyceride plasma concentration with LMI and FMI Z-scores, the data of 2,487 children and adolescents (age 8-19 years) (984 females) were eligible. High aLMI showed no association with LDL-C or triglyceride concentration, but high FMI showed significant association with LDL-C and triglyceride plasma concentration in the bivariate regression analysis.
Conclusions: Isolated muscle mass increase may not be protective against high LDL-C and triglycerides plasma levels in children and adolescents. Thus, exercise may lead to risk factor reduction mainly through fat mass reduction.
Keywords: LDL-cholesterol; children; fat mass; muscle mass; triglycerides.
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