Population Screening for Blood Lipid Levels and Related Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors among U.S. Army Basic Trainees

Abstract

The U.S. Army is actively promoting healthy lifestyles. A major goal of the Army Health Promotion Program is to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of CHD risk factors found among U.S. Army Basic Trainees. Total serum cholesterol levels, medical histories, tobacco use, and dietary intakes were determined for 258 male and female Basic Trainees during their first to third week of Basic Training (dietary intakes are discussed in a separate technical report). Triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels also were determined for 79 of the 258 participants. Blood lipids were determined by two different methods to test the agreement between different methods. The mean total serum cholesterol level for males (mean age 19) was 140 + or - 25 mg/dl (Mean + or - SD) and for females (mean age 20) 162 + or - 28 mg/dl. Although these serum cholesterol levels appear low, they may be somewhat misleading due to an 'adolescent drop' in serum cholesterol levels often found in 16-20 year olds. Serum cholesterol levels between 200-239 mg/dl were found in 3 of the 125 males (3%) and 11 of the 126 females (9%). A family history of high blood pressure was the most frequently identified CHD risk factor obtained from the Basic Trainees' medical histories (54% of the males and 55% of the females).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 26, 1988
Accession Number
ADA206223

Entities

People

  • E. W. Askew
  • G. S. Berenson
  • M. S. Rose
  • R. W. Rose
  • S. R. Srinivasan
  • T. E. Morgan

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Age Groups
  • Basic Training
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
  • Digestive System Processes
  • Education
  • Health Services
  • Heart Diseases
  • Hypertension
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Personnel Management
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Surveys
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States
  • Vascular Diseases

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

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