Objective: To investigate the hypercholesterolemic effects of a dietary exchange between 16:0 and 18:1 while 18:2 was at relatively lower level ( % 4%) in aged women with initially high total serum cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values and with high intakes of dietary cholesterol. Design: Subjects were assigned to two consecutive 28 d periods. In the ®rst period all subjects followed an oleic acid-rich diet in the form of oleic acid-rich sun¯ower oil. This was followed by a second period rich in palmitic acid in the form of palmolein. Nutrient intakes, serum lipids, lipoproteins, antioxidant vitamins, peroxides and LDL-peroxides were measured at two dietary periods. Setting: Instituto de Nutricio Ân y Bromatologõ Âa (CSIC), Departamento de Nutricio Ân y Bromatologõ Âa I (Nutricio Ân) and Seccio Ân Departamental de Quõ Âmica Analõ Âtica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. Results: The palmolein period led to an increase in TC (P`0.001; 17.7%) and serum apolipoprotein (Apo) B levels (P`0.001; 18.0%). LDL-C and LDL-Apo B concentrations were higher (P`0.001, 4.33AE 0.94 mmolaL and P`0.01, 1.08 AE 0.20 gaL, respectively) following this period than following the oleic acid-rich sun¯ower oil diet (3.56 AE 0.85 mmolaL, 0.93 AE 0.16 gaL, respectively). No signi®cant differences were observed in the TCahigh density lipoprotein cholesterol (TCaHDL-C) ratio between the two dietary periods. Serum and LDLperoxides were lower (P`0.01, 49.5%, and P`0.001, 69.0%, respectively) after the palmolein diet than after the oleic acid-rich sun¯ower oil diet. The palmolein diet signi®cantly increased TC, LDL-C, Apo B, VLDLApoB, LDL-ApoB in women with TC ! 6.21 mmolaL or with TC`6.21 mmolaL, but the increase in Apo B, LDL-C and LDL-Apo B was greater among the women with high TC. The palmolein diet increased HDL-C in women with high or with low TC but this rise was on the borderline of statistical signi®cance (P 0.06) only in normocholesterolemics. Serum and LDL-peroxides tended to be higher in women with TC ! 6.21 mmolaL than in women with TC`6.21 mmolaL, but palmolein decreased serum and LDL-peroxide in hypercholesterolemics more than in the normocholesterolemics, resulting in serum and LDL-peroxide levels which theoretically are more adequate. Conclusions: Though palmolein increased LDL-C concentrations, it better protected LDL particles, mainly in women with high TC, against peroxidation than did oleic acid-rich sun¯ower oil. Sponsorship: This study was supported by the Spanish Comision Interministerial de Ciencia Y Tecnologõ Âa

These findings suggest that the dietary exchange of an olive oil and sunflower oil blend for extra virgin olive decreases LDL and apo AII levels, and the estimate of 10-year cardiovascular risk.

Increased HDL-cholesterol levels have been associated with lower coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. However, HDL are heterogeneous lipoproteins, and particles enriched in apolipoprotein (Apo) AII have been associated with increased CHD risk. We examined the effect of dietary intervention on HDL composition in 14 postmenopausal women subjected to two consecutive diet periods, i.e., an oleic acid sunflower oil diet followed by a palmolein diet, each lasting 4 wk. The linoleic acid was kept at 4% total energy and the cholesterol intake at 400 mg/d. The palmolein diet increased serum total cholesterol (TC) (P < 0.001), phospholipids (P < 0.001), Apo AII (P < 0.001), HDL cholesterol (P < 0.05), HDL lipids (P < 0.05), HDL proteins (P < 0.01) and the HDL total mass (P < 0.05). The HDL cholesterol/Apo AI ratio was increased 22.0% (P < 0.05), whereas the HDL cholesterol/Apo AII and the Apo AI/Apo AII ratios were decreased 19.4% (P < 0.01) and 30.4%, (P < 0.001), respectively. When the effects of the dietary intervention were examined according to the cholesterolemia status (< or >6.2 mmol/L), the most significant changes (P < 0.001) were related to Apo AII levels. Moreover, a significant dietary oil by cholesterol level interaction was found for Apo AII and the HDL cholesterol/Apo AII ratio. In summary, a palmolein diet increased TC and HDL cholesterol compared with oleic acid sunflower oil diet; however, the increase in Apo AII but not in Apo AI suggests the impairment of reverse cholesterol transport and potentially an increase in CHD risk. This effect was more marked in women with serum TC > 6.2 mmol/L.