Correlates of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in a sample of healthy workers.

Abstract Methods . Correlates of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are analyzed in a sample of 797 male workers in southern Italy participating in the Olivetti Heart Study. At the univariate level high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations are positively related to alcohol consumption ( r = 0.127; P ⩽ 0.001) and sport activity ( r = 0.074; P ⩽ 0.05) and inversely related to body mass index ( r = −0.160; P ⩽ 0.001), serum triglycerides ( r = −0.349; P ⩽ 0.001), cigarette smoking ( r = −0.227; P ⩽ 0.001), and coffee consumption ( r = −0.153; P ⩽ 0.001). Results . In the group as a whole, body mass index, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and serum triglycerides remain significantly related to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the multivariate model, while the association with coffee intake and sport activity loses statistical significance. A significant negative interaction is reported between physical activity and cigarette smoking, and a positive significant linear trend between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and sport activity is observed only in nonsmokers. Conclusion . These findings suggest that body mass index, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, serum triglycerides, and sport activity are important correlates of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol but that the positive significant association between sport activity and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is absent in smokers.