Objective: To describe the relationships between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol among Chinese adults.
Methods: Data used in the present study was from the China Health and Nutrition Study (CHNS). Chinese adults, 18 to 65 year olds who participated in the 2009 CHNS with complete individual information were included in the study. Correlation of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol among different sex groups was described to explore the effect of dietary cholesterol intake on the level of serum cholesterol as well as to examine the effect of higher intake of dietary cholesterol related to hypercholesterolemia.
Results: Results from the correlation analysis indicated that dietary cholesterol appeared a highly positive correlation (P < 0.05) with serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Data from the multiple regression analysis showed that dietary cholesterol intake was an important factor that affecting the serum TC (P < 0.05) in both males and females but LDL-C was only in females (P = 0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, the high intake of dietary cholesterol (≥ 300 mg/d) had higher risks for developing hypercholesterolemia in both males and females (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.42, P = 0.019; OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.00-1.40, P = 0.044), respectively.
Conclusion: Dietary cholesterol intake seemed to correlate with the serum cholesterol level, and hypercholesterolemia should be prevented through reducing the dietary cholesterol among Chinese adults.