Serum cholesterol in israelis

There is a linear increase in serum cholesterol between the ages of 20 and 45 in the general population of Israel. In women, this linear increase continues to the eighth decade while in men a plateau is reached in the sixth decade and there is a slight decrease in advanced age. There is no significant difference between the age adjusted mean levels of cholesterol for different Israeli ethnic groups. Correlation and regression coefficients indicate that the previous difference in serum cholesterol levels between different ethnic groups is probably disappearing gradually. It is postulated that this phenomenon is related to change in ethnic composition of the population and in dietary and other habits.