Correlation between Lipoprotein(a) and Other Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes in Cherokee Indians: The Cherokee Diabetes Study

In the girls, Lp(a) levels appear to be associated with several CVD and diabetes risk factors at an early age (5-19 years), while in the boys, the association occurs at older ages (> 19 years). There are significant age and gender differences regarding the distribution of Lp(a) and its correlates in the 5 to 9, 10 to19, and 20 to 29-year-old age groups, but the differences tend to be weaker in the 30- to 40-year-old age group. For the same age and gender groups, Lp(a) concentrations in Cherokee Indians were much lower than those reported in blacks and slightly lower than those in whites. In Cherokee Indians, the Lp(a) levels were consistently and positively correlated with LDL, and negatively correlated with DIH, TG, and insulin.