Interethnic variation in lipid profiles: implications for underidentification of African–Americans at risk for metabolic disorders

Abstract

Interethnic differences exist in the distribution of serum lipids, with African–Americans (AAs) generally having a healthier lipid profile than other US ethnic groups. Similar lipid distributions are observed among other African-ancestry groups with distinct lifestyle characteristics, suggesting the importance of inherited factors. Despite healthier serum lipids, AAs experience a disproportionate burden of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As evidence of a different relationship between serum lipids and disease exists, the characterization of metabolic risk using lipid concentration (as in metabolic syndrome criteria) may lead to the underidentification of AAs at risk. Given the disproportionately high rate of metabolic disorders in AAs, understanding interethnic differences in the association between serum lipids and disease should be a research priority, as better appreciation of these differences will enhance knowledge of disease etiology, improve intervention targeting and may lead to mechanisms to ameliorate debilitating health disparities in the USA and globally.

Keywords::

• African–American
• epidemiology
• genomics
• health disparities
• insulin resistance
• lipids
• metabolic syndrome

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.