OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the blood lipids and risk factors such as age in middle-aged and elderly men.

METHODS1603 men aged over 50 years old who took health examinations in June 2006 in the Chinese PLA General hospital were taken into the study. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), fasting serum glucose (FBG), serum creatinine (Cr) and blood uric acid (UA) were detected, and the clinical data such as age, body height, body weight and blood pressure were recorded.

RESULTS(1) The detection rates of hyperlipidemia, abnormal TC, abnormal TG, abnormal HDL-c and abnormal LDL-c were 56.27%, 36.74%, 28.20%, 10.79% and 6.92% respectively, and the TC and/or TG abnormality were the majority. (2) Compared with the 50 59 years old group, the elderly men aged over 80 years old had lower detection rates of abnormal TC and abnormal HDL-c, lower levels of TC and TG and higher levels of HDL-c (P < 0.05). After adjusting for BMI, SBP, DBP, UA, FBG and CCr, the multiple regression analysis showed that the levels of TC and TG decreased by 0.097 mmol/L and 0.087 mmol/L respectively every 10 years older, while the level of HDL-c increased by 0.113 mmol/L.

CONCLUSIONThe study showed that the majority types of hyperlipidemia in middle-aged and elderly men were abnormal TC and abnormal TG. The levels of TC, TG were correlated with age positively and the HDL-c was negatively correlated with age. The blood lipids metabolism characteristics of elderly men aged over 80 years old should be considered before the treatment of hyperlipidemia.