HPLC links status with health in Australia

Analysis conducted using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has indicated an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health among the Australian population.

Representatives of a number of Australian academic and healthcare institutions collaborated on the study, which is published in BMC Public Health.

They were keen to look into how SES might impact on individuals' levels of plasma carotenoids, a marker of consumption of fruit and vegetables that can be directly linked with poor health outcomes.

While their HPLC analysis discovered a positive correlation between status and plasma carotenoid levels, there was a further discovery made.

The scientists reveal that indigenous Australians, even at the highest SES band, typically have lower quantities of the substances in their bodies than other residents of the country - and therefore might expect to exhibit poorer overall health.

BMC Public Health reports on findings in behavioural, occupational and environmental health, with a special focus on how social aspects influence the development of disease.