Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and functional performance in an elderly Korean population

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Functional performance and cholesterol metabolism are important for elderly’s health; however, their association has not been fully investigated in the general population. Thus, we investigated the association of HDL cholesterol with multiple functional performance measures in an elderly Korean population. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included 2,023 people, aged 65–95 years, who participated in baseline health examinations for the Korean Urban Rural Elderly (KURE) cohort study. Serum HDL cholesterol was measured from fasting blood samples. Functional performance was assessed by the activities of daily living (ADL) scale, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale, timed up-and-go (TUG) test, and chair-rise test (CRT). The fewer seconds at TUG test and CRT and the lower ADL and IADL scores indicated better functional performance.RESULTS: In male elderly, higher HDL cholesterol level were significantly associated with lower ADL score (β=-0.019 per HDL cholesterol 5 mg/dL, p<0.001) and TUG (β=-0.133, p=0.005), but not with IADL (β=-0.020, p=0.086) and CRT (β=-0.038, p=0.499) when adjusted for age. When additionally adjusted for body mass index, total cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption, and history of cardiovascular disease, the inverse association was statistically significant only for ADL (β=-0.018, p=0.002). In female elderly, HDL cholesterol was independently associated only with CRT (β=-0.085, p=0.044), but not with ADL (β=-0.003, p=0.263), IADL (β=-0.002, p=0.640) and TUG (β=-0.003, p=0.945) when adjusted for age. This inverse association between HDL cholesterol and CRT remained significant after additional adjustment (β=-0.090, p=0.048).CONCLUSION: Higher HDL cholesterol level was associated with better functional performance in our elderly Korean population. In addition, gender may influence this association.