Effect of 7-Year Infancy-Onset Dietary Intervention on Serum Lipoproteins and Lipoprotein Subclasses in Healthy Children in the Prospective, Randomized Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project for Children (STRIP) Study

Abstract

Background— We previously showed that low-saturated-fat dietary intervention from infancy until 5 years of age safely and effectively reduced serum cholesterol concentration. We now report how such intervention influenced serum lipids, LDL particle size, and HDL subfractions in children when they reached the age of 7 years. Methods and Results— Healthy 7-month-old infants (n=1062) were randomized to the intervention (n=540) and control (n=522) groups. Each year, two individualized counseling sessions were organized to the intervention families. Serum lipid values were measured annually. The intervention boys had 0.20 to 0.39 mmol/L lower serum cholesterol values than the control boys throughout the follow-up (always P P =0.05), and 259.2 Å in the intervention girls and 261.3 Å in the control girls ( P =0.30). HDL ₂ and HDL ₃ cholesterol concentrations did not differ between the intervention and control children or between the two genders. Conclusions— The 7-year intervention favorably influenced not only the serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations but also the LDL particle size in boys. LDL particle size remained unchanged in girls, as did HDL ₂ and HDL ₃ concentrations in both genders.