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Previous Volume 328:1150-1156 April 22, 1993 Number 16 Next

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ABSTRACT

Background The extent to which serum lipid levels are affected by genetic and environmental factors remains a point of controversy. We examined both genetic and environmental influences on serum lipid levels in twins reared either together or apart who participated in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging.

Methods We studied 302 pairs of twins (mean age, 65.6 years; range, 52 to 86); 146 pairs had been reared apart. We simultaneously compared the twins on the basis of both zygosity and rearing status, which allowed joint estimation of genetic and environmental influences on serum lipid levels. Genetic influence was expressed in terms of heritability, the proportion of the population variation attributable to genetic variation (a value of 1.0 indicates that all of the population variation is attributable to genetic variation). The serum lipids and apolipoproteins measured included total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B, and triglycerides.

Results Structural-equation analyses revealed substantial heritability for the serum levels of each lipid measured, ranging from 0.28 to 0.78. Comparisons of the twins reared together with those reared apart suggested that the environment of rearing had a substantial impact on the level of total cholesterol (accounting for 0.15 to 0.36 of the total variance). Sharing the same environment appeared to affect the other lipid measures much less, however, than did genetic factors and unique environmental factors not shared by twins. Comparisons of younger with older twins suggested that heritability for apolipoprotein B and triglyceride levels decreased with age.

Conclusions The effect of genetic factors on the serum levels of some but not all lipids appears to decrease with age. Early rearing environment appears to remain an important factor in relation to levels of total cholesterol later in life, but it has less effect on other serum lipids and apolipoproteins in the elderly.

Source Information

From the Program in Biobehavioral Health (D.A.H., G.E.M.) and the Center for Developmental and Health Genetics (D.A.H., N.L.P., G.E.M.), College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden (U.F.); the Department of Epidemiology, Institute for Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (N.L.P.); and the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Umea University Hospital, Umea, Sweden (G.D.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Heller at the Program in Biobehavioral Health, 210 E. Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

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