HDL subclasses are heterogeneous in their associations with body fat, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry: The Kitakata Kids Health Study

Abstract Background Obesity, defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat, is frequently associated with low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, HDL particles are heterogeneous in size and composition. HDL subclasses may be differentially associated with body fat. Methods This study investigated associations between the cholesterol concentrations of HDL subclasses, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and body fat variables, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The source population was all ninth grade students who attended Shiokawa Junior High School in Japan. Results Cross-sectional data on body fat and serum HDL subclasses were obtained for 87 students (72.5% of the source population). The cholesterol concentration of the large HDL subclass showed a significant (P  Conclusion These results indicate that HDL subclasses are heterogeneous in their associations with body fat variables that were accurately measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry among Japanese students.