Plasma lipids and apolipoproteins in a population of Orang Asli (‘aboriginesʹ) from West Malaysia

Plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and apolipoproteins Al (apo Al) and B (apo B) were measured in a sample of subjects from the Semai tribe of Orang Asli in peninsular Malaysia. They appeared to exhibit the lowest TC ever recorded (1.6 for males and 1.9 mmol/l for females) and relatively high TG (1.4 mmol/l for males and 1.5 mmol/l for females)(means for the whole sample). There was little apparent ageing gradient in any of the plasma analytes, but the group of men aged 21-40 had lower HDLC than the corresponding female group. Both low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) (calculated) and HDLC as well as their corresponding apolipoproteins were correspondingly very low. There was a significant correlation between apo AI and HDLC in both sexes.