Lipid profile variations in a group of healthy elderly and centenarians.

Epidemiological and clinical studies have clearly shown a close relationship between plasma cholesterol concentrations and vascular risk. We focused our attention on the phenotypic-biohumoral conditions capable of in- fluencing longevity in relation to different age classes. We evaluated the lipid profile in an el- derly institutionalized population of 80 subjects (20 males and 60 females divided into age class- es) in the town of Catania. Our results revealed a statistically significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol concentrations as well as Apoli- poprotein B100/ Apolipoprotein A1, total choles- terol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL- cholesterol ratios, and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol, Apolipoprotein A1, Apolipopro- tein B100 and Lipoprotein (a) values. This changes are progressiv with age. We believe that low total cholesterol, LDL- cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, ele- vated HDL-cholesterol values, and low ratios protect subjects from ischemic and thrombotic events, thus favouring longevity. These changes are most evident and statistically significant in the most advanced decades of life, especially in centenarians, and may depend on diverse deter- minants, such as body composition, environ- mental factors, physical activity, diet and drugs.