Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and changes in serum lipids during a family-based counselling intervention

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo compare serum lipids and their changes during a family-based health education in children aged 6–17 years with or without the ɛ4 allele of the gene encoding apolipoprotein E (apoE).DesignAn intervention study.SettingA family-based prevention of risk factors of coronary heart disease in Eastern Finland. The programme consisted of two counselling meetings at children's schools and three at children's homes.SubjectsFour hundred and thirty-nine children with a family history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) participated in a family-based health education. The children were divided into two groups according toapoEgenotype. The risk group consisted of 143 children havingapoEɛ4 allele (genotype ɛ3/4 or ɛ4/4) and the non-risk group of 296 children withoutapoEɛ4 allele (ɛ2/3 or ɛ3/3). The final sample of the follow-up study included 354 (81%) children (114 and 240, respectively).ResultsBaseline differences were found in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P= 0.007) and LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (P= 0.030) among boys and in total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C (P= 0.008) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios (P= 0.006) among girls. Differences between groups in changes during the follow-up were observed only for TC/HDL-C ratio (P-value adjusted for age = 0.049) among boys.ConclusionsAt baseline, children withapoEɛ4 allele had on average a more unfavourable lipid profile than those withoutapoEɛ4 allele. However, the effect of about 33 months' family-based health education on plasma lipids did not depend onapoEgenotype in children with a family history of CVD.