Low high density lipoprotein cholesterol: prevalence and associated risk-factors in a large French population.

Purpose: High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular risk. We investigated the distribution of HDL-C in a French general population according to age, sex, and the risk factors associated with low HDL-C values.

Methods: A group of 18,483 men and 22,047 women 16-79 years of age were investigated during a medical check-up.