The prevalence of dislipidemia and its relation to other risk factors: a nationwide survey of Lithuania

Prevalence of dyslipidemias in the Middle East region: A systematic review & meta-analysis study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Dyslipidemia is a known main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and it can be controlled to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemias in the Middle East.

METHODS

The relevant published articles between 2000 and 2021 that investigated the prevalence of dyslipidaemias in the Middle East were found through international data sources such as Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of dyslipidemias, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the Middle East were 54.08% (95% CI: 43.83-66.71), 32.51% (95% CI: 28.59-36.43), 29.44% (95% CI: 18.74-40.13), 32.09% (95% CI: 22.17-42.01), 44.71% (95% CI: 37.86-51.57), respectively. During the last two decades, an increasing trend in the prevalence of dyslipidemias was observed overall and in both sexes. Also, the age groups over 30 significantly had the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend in the prevalence of dyslipidemias during the last two decades is an alarming and significant concern in the Middle East. Therefore, special measures are needed to deal with dyslipidemias as a health priority in the Middle East.

Atherogenic dyslipidemia and associated risk factors among hypertensive patients of five health facilities in Northeast Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

One of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease is atherogenic dyslipidemia. There was, however, little information available in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of atherogenic dyslipidemia and related risk factors in Northeast Ethiopian hypertension patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic random sampling technique was used to perform a cross-sectional study at an institution with 384 chosen participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of the respondents. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and Pearson's Chi-square test were employed to compare groups based on the type of data. Furthermore, Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with dyslipidemia. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and their corresponding 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were computed. In all cases, statistical significance was declared at p <0.05.

RESULTS

The majority (93.2%; 95%CI: 90.6-95.6) of patients had at least one atherogenic dyslipidemia. The prevalence of elevated total cholesterol (TC), elevated triglyceride (TG), raised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) were 47.7%, 50.3%, 44.3%, and 59.6%, respectively. Being≥ 40 years were at higher risk for having elevated levels of TC (AOR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.40-4.32), TG (AOR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.61-3.79), and LDL-c (AOR: 4.68, 95% CI: 2.0-10.95) than those who were below 40years. Obese participants were more likely to have high concentrations of TC (AOR: 2.57, 95%CI: 2.10-3.22), LDL-c (AOR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.97-5.10), HDL-c (AOR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.77-4.58), and TG (AOR: 2.23, 95%CI: 1.79-4.16).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that a high prevalence of atherogenic dyslipidemia. Thus, to prevent atherogenic dyslipidemia, it is crucial to create routine blood lipid testing programs and carry out suitable intervention programs focused on risk factor reduction.

Prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with opium consumption in the Rafsanjan cohort study

The potential effects of opium consumption on lipid profile remain unquantified. We considered the association between opium use and dyslipidemia. In this cross-sectional study, we used data obtained from the Rafsanjan cohort study, as a part of the prospective epidemiological research studies in IrAN (PERSIAN) with detailed and validated data on opium consumption and selected other exposures. A total of 9932 adults were included in the study. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships of opium consumption with the prevalence of dyslipidemia and lipid disorders. In this population, 73.33% had dyslipidemia and the prevalence rates of high TC, high TG, high LDL and low HDL were 54.24%, 47.45%, 34.43% and 11.91% respectively. After adjustment for all confounders, opium users compared with non-users had lower odds ratios (OR) of high TC and high LDL [0.81 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.71–0.92) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.69–0.93) respectively] and greater OR of low HDL [1.30 (95% CI 1.04–1.62)]. Longer duration of opium consumption resulted in lower ORs of high TC, 0.68 (95% CI 0.55–0.84) and high LDL, 0.82 (95% CI 0.67–0.99), and shorter duration of opium consumption resulted in increased odds of low HDL, 1.30 (95% CI 1.02–1.66). High dose of opium consumption was associated with an OR of dyslipidemia of 0.80 (95% CI 0.65–0.97), high TC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.67–0.95), and high LDL of 0.78 (95% CI 0.64–0.96) and low dose of opium consumption, with an OR of low HDL of 1.30 (95% CI 1.02–1.65). In relation to route of consumption, opium smoking was a risk factor for low HDL with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.31 (1.04–1.63). Opium use was associated with selected changes on serum lipid levels, but opium users had higher frequency of cardiovascular disease history.

Anthropometric measures and biomarkers for cardiovascular disease risk factors: evidence from a study of Polish adults participating in the cardiovascular disease prevention program (CHUK)

The Polish national program for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CHUK) uses the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) index which evaluates the upcoming risk of death from cardiovascular causes for a 10 year period, based on information such as age, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and gender. The aim of this study was to determine health indicators in the population enrolled in the program and identify the relationships between the cardiovascular risk factors. The data was collected from 303 participating individuals; 172 women (aged 35 to 58 years) and 131 men (aged 31 to 60 years). The SCORE index showed a statistically significant positive relationship between CVD and the male gender. The higher frequency of 3–4% and 5–9% for SCORE index in men indicates that they were at a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents. The increased risk of a cardiovascular incidence in men was associated with a higher mean arm circumference, waist circumference, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting glucose. HDL cholesterol and heart rate were statistically significantly higher in women. Among the study subjects, the most common parameters above the normal range were elevated LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. The highest correlation with the SCORE index was observed for the age of the subjects, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, regardless of gender. The results showed that biochemical parameters and blood pressure were above normal values in almost all subjects. Men had significantly less favorable parameters compared to women of similar age range. According to the SCORE index, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular incident regardless of gender. Women were characterized by a lower risk of cardiovascular incident according to the SCORE index.

Prevalence and predictors of dyslipidemia among hypertensive patients in Lumame Primary Hospital, Amhara, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Serum lipid profile abnormalities are major predictors for coronary artery diseases. The relationship between demographic factors and dyslipidemia in Ethiopia is not completely explored. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of dyslipidemia among hypertensive patients in Lumame Primary Hospital.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 30, 2020, on the hypertensive patients in Lumame Primary Hospital. All adult hypertensive patients who visited the adult hypertensive care services during the study period were included. Interview-guided self-administered questionnaire and a chart review were used for data collection. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Out of 372 hypertensive patients, 190(51.1%) were females and the mean age of the study participants was 43.56 years (SD ± 4.31). The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in this study was 48.4%. Besides the overall prevalence, the prevalence of TC, TG, LDL-c, and HDL-c was 73(19.6%), 91(24.5%), 60(16.1%), and 115(30.9%), respectively. Females were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.54-3.13), TG (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.34-3.79), LDL-c (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.56-2.86), and HDL-c (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.44-5.67) than males. Respondents who were from urban were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.04-6.83), TG (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.09-2.86), LDL-c (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.45-7.43), and HDL-c (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.94-4.55) than respondents who were from rural. Similarly, obese respondents were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.64-2.00), TG (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.06-6.42), LDL-c (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.66-2.12), and HDL-c (AOR = 4.23, 95% CI = 2.84-4.32) than to respondents who were underweight.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of dyslipidemia among hypertensive patients was high. Independent variables such as age, gender, residence, family history of HTN, smoking, alcohol drinking, fruit diet habits, physical activity, DM, and BMI were significant determinants of dyslipidemia.

Prevalence of dyslipidemia and associated risk factors among adult residents of Mekelle City, Northern Ethiopia

Introduction

Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The prevalence of dyslipidemia is not known among Ethiopian adults. The prevalence is expected to rise due to the socio-economic development accompanied by lifestyle changes. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and associated risk factors among adult residents of Mekelle City.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 321 randomly selected subjects. Data were collected on sociodemographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of the participants using the WHO STEPS survey instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24.0. Student’s t-test and Pearson’s Chi-square test were used to assessing the interrelationship between each factor and outcome variables. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors associated with dyslipidemia. All statistical significance was considered at p ≤0.05.

Results

The prevalence of dyslipidemia in this study was 66.7%. The prevalence of high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), elevated triglyceride, elevated total cholesterol, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was 49.5%, 40.2%, 30.8%, and 16.5%, respectively. Being above 64 years (aOR: 2.196, 95% CI: 1.183–4.078) and 40–64 years old (aOR: 2.196, 95% CI: 1.183–4.078), overweight (aOR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.314–4.756) and obesity (aOR: 15.489, 95% CI: 3.525–68.070), walking <150 minutes per week (aOR: 1.722, 95% CI: 1.004–2.953), raised fasting blood glucose (FBG) (aOR: 4.804, 95% CI: 1.925–11.988), and medium socio-economic status (aOR: 2.017, 95% CI: 1.044–3.899) were identified as significant predictors of dyslipidemia.

Conclusions

The finding of this study indicated that the prevalence of dyslipidemia is unacceptably high among adult residents of Mekelle City, which underlines an urgent need for early detection and public health interventions through the integrated involvement of public, governmental, and non-governmental organizations.

Overview of the current status of familial hypercholesterolaemia care in over 60 countries - The EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) may vary across different settings due to factors related to population characteristics, practice, resources and/or policies. We conducted a survey among the worldwide network of EAS FHSC Lead Investigators to provide an overview of FH status in different countries.

METHODS

Lead Investigators from countries formally involved in the EAS FHSC by mid-May 2018 were invited to provide a brief report on FH status in their countries, including available information, programmes, initiatives, and management.

RESULTS

63 countries provided reports. Data on FH prevalence are lacking in most countries. Where available, data tend to align with recent estimates, suggesting a higher frequency than that traditionally considered. Low rates of FH detection are reported across all regions. National registries and education programmes to improve FH awareness/knowledge are a recognised priority, but funding is often lacking. In most countries, diagnosis primarily relies on the Dutch Lipid Clinics Network criteria. Although available in many countries, genetic testing is not widely implemented (frequent cost issues). There are only a few national official government programmes for FH. Under-treatment is an issue. FH therapy is not universally reimbursed. PCSK9-inhibitors are available in ∼2/3 countries. Lipoprotein-apheresis is offered in ∼60% countries, although access is limited.

CONCLUSIONS

FH is a recognised public health concern. Management varies widely across countries, with overall suboptimal identification and under-treatment. Efforts and initiatives to improve FH knowledge and management are underway, including development of national registries, but support, particularly from health authorities, and better funding are greatly needed.

Autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia: Case report

INTRODUCTION

Autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH; OMIM #603813) is a very rare monogenic disorder affecting less than 1 in 1000,000 people and is characterized by very high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), leading to aggressive and premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease if left untreated. Lowering of LDL-C is the main target of the treatment. We report on a 29-year-old male patient born in nonconsanguineous Lithuanian family homo(hemi-)zygous for LDLRAP1 gene variant causing ARH. This variant is not present in population databases and, to our knowledge, has not been reported in scientific literature before.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The earliest clinical sign, noticed at the age of 5 years, was painful and enlarging nodules on Achilles tendons. At the age of 10 years, xanthomas of the metacarpal joint area on both hands emerged. The first lipid panel was performed at the age of 12 years. In accordance with Dutch Lipid Clinic Network diagnostic criteria for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), definite FH (type IIA hyperlipoproteinemia) was diagnosed and the treatment with cholestyramine 4 grams per day was initiated. As the patient was 15 years old, direct adsorption of low-density lipoprotein apheresis was started and repeated monthly. At the age of 20 years, along with lipoprotein apheresis, 10 mg of rosuvastatin daily intake was prescribed. At the age of 28 years, the dose of rosuvastatin was increased to 40 mg per day, and 10 mg of ezetimibe daily intake was added. At the age of 28 years, homozygous LDLRAP1 gene variant NM_015627.2:c.488A>C, NP_056442.2:p.(Gln163Pro) causing autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia was determined by genetic testing.

CONCLUSIONS

This case report implies that ARH, being an extremely rare disorder, is a severe disease. As there is limited routine testing, including genetic testing, patients suffering from both this disease and FH may remain undiagnosed. Cascade screening and genetic counseling differ for ARH as compared with FH, as the carrier of a pathogenic variant in the LDLRAP1 gene does not have marked total cholesterol and LDL-C elevations. However, genetic testing of the proband and their relatives is essential to evaluate the risk of development of FH and to provide prognosis as well as adequate, timely treatment. To improve the quality of life of patients with FH and prolong their life expectancy, national registries of FH and wider laboratory and genetic testing are undoubtedly necessary. A national FH screening program was set up in Lithuania, which helps to identify, monitor, and treat subjects with FH.

Cardiovascular risk profile of patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia in middle age Lithuanian population

Background

Atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) is a blood serum lipid profile abnormality characterized by elevation of triglycerides and reduced levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). It is associated with residual cardiovascular risk. This study evaluated and compared the risk profiles of patients with hypertriglyceridemia, low-HDL-C levels or AD, in order to understand, which lipid profile is associated with greater risk.

Methods

During the period of 2009–2016 a population of 92,373 Lithuanian adults (men 40–54 years old and women 50–64 years old) without overt cardiovascular disease were analyzed. Data of 25,746 patients (68.6% women and 31.4% men) with hypertriglyceridemia and/or low HDL-C low levels were collected and used for further statistical analysis.

Results

Participants with AD tend to have more unfavorable risk profile than participants with hypertriglyceridemia or low-HDL-C. AD tends to cluster with other atherogenic risk factors, such as arterial hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 1.96, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.87–2.01], smoking [OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.14–1.27], diabetes mellitus [OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.58–2.90], obesity [OR 2.92, 95% CI 2.78–3.10], metabolic syndrome [OR 22.27, 95% CI 20.69–23.97], unbalanced diet [OR 1,59, 95% CI 1.51–1.68], low physical activity [OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.71–1,89], CHD history in first degree relatives [OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.12–1.25] and total number of risk factors [OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.38–1.57].

Conclusion

AD is associated with more unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile than hypertriglyceridemia or low-HDL cholesterol levels. Once identified AD should require additional medical attention since it is an important factor of residual cardiovascular risk.

Severe dyslipidemia and concomitant risk factors in the middle-aged Lithuanian adults: a cross-sectional cohort study

BACKGROUND

Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent and is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Lithuania. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe dyslipidemia in Lithuanian middle aged primary prevention population and to investigate cardiovascular risk profile.

METHODS

The group of 83,376 people were examined in the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk primary prevention program (LitHiR), during 2009-2015 years. This study recruited middle aged men and women without overt cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was compared between severe dyslipidemia group and control group.

RESULTS

Severe dyslipidemia was present in 13.5% (11265) of the subjects; 66.6% (7508) were females. The subjects with severe dyslipidemia had significantly higher rates of arterial hypertension (63.5% vs. 44.2%, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (16% vs. 8.1%, p < 0,001), abdominal obesity (51% vs. 30.3%, p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) > 30 (kg/m²) (38.8% vs. 24.1%, p < 0.001), metabolic syndrome (47.2% vs. 9.2%, p < 0.001), unbalanced diet (66.5% vs. 53.5%, p < 0.001), insufficient physical activity (56% vs. 44.2%, p < 0.001), family history of cardiovascular disease (29.7% vs. 22.7%, p < 0.001) in comparison with control group. Subjects without dyslipidemia had significantly higher rates of smoking (26.4% vs. 22.7%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia was 0.1%, very high hypertriglyceridemia - 0.2% and familial mixed dyslipidemia - 0.1% of the subjects examined in the LitHiR programme.

CONCLUSIONS

High prevalence of dyslipidemia remains a major problem in Lithuania. 9 out of 10 people have dyslipidemia, 1 out of 10 - severe dyslipidemia. Severe dyslipidemia is associated with higher frequency of other cardiovascular risk factors.