Serum lipid levels in a Pygmy and Bantu population sample from Cameroon

Background and Aim: A survey of the serum lipid values was performed in an isolated Pygmy and a Bantu population living in Southern Cameroon. The purpose was to study the distribution of serum lipid levels in a hunter-gatherer population and in a population living in the same region but practising agriculture. Methods and Results: Low values for serum total cholesterol were found respectively in men and women of the Pygmy ethnicity of 2.88 ± 0.69 and 3.18 ± 0.67 mmol/l and in the Bantu ethnicity of 3.12 ± 0.72 and 3.56 ± 0.71 mmol/l respectively. In contrast, the HDL-cholesterol levels were in the lower range of normal for Western populations, except for women. The mean BMI was low and varied between 19.9 and 20.9 kg/m2. The serum cholesterol and Apo B values increased significantly with estimated age, but the increase was markedly lower than in Western populations. Conclusions: The low serum lipid values obtained are presumably typical for the values existing during the evolution of the human race. ©1997, Medikal Press.