Cross-sectional association between blood cholesterol and calcium levels in genetically diverse strains of mice

Genetically diverse outbred mice allow for the study of genetic variation in the context of high dietary and environmental control. Using a machine learning approach we investigated clinical and morphometric factors that associate with serum cholesterol levels in 840 genetically unique mice of both sexes, and on both a control chow and high fat high sucrose diet. We find expected elevations of cholesterol in male mice, those with elevated serum triglycerides and/or fed a high fat high sucrose diet. The third strongest predictor was serum calcium which correlated with serum cholesterol across both diets and sexes (r=0.39–0.48). This is in-line with several human cohort studies which show associations between calcium and cholesterol, and calcium as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events.