A systematic review of population-based studies on lipid profiles in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco,Leonardo Albitres-Flores,C Joel Benites-Moya,Cecilia Anza-Ramirez,Diana Sánchez-Velazco,Niels Pacheco-Barrios,Antonio Bernabe-Ortiz

doi:10.7554/elife.57980

Abstract

We aimed to study time trends and levels of mean total cholesterol and lipid fractions, and dyslipidaemias prevalence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Systematic-review and meta-analysis of population-based studies in which lipid (total cholesterol [TC; 86 studies; 168,553 people], HDL-Cholesterol [HDL-C; 84 studies; 121,282 people], LDL-Cholesterol [LDL-C; 61 studies; 86,854 people], and triglycerides [TG; 84 studies; 121,009 people]) levels and prevalences were laboratory-based. We used Scopus, LILACS, Embase, Medline and Global Health; studies were from 1964 to 2016. Pooled means and prevalences were estimated for lipid biomarkers from ≥2005. The pooled means (mg/dl) were 193 for TC, 120 for LDL-C, 47 for HDL-C, and 139 for TG; no strong trends. The pooled prevalence estimates were 21% for high TC, 20% for high LDL-C, 48% for low HDL-C, and 21% for high TG; no strong trends. These results may help strengthen programs for dyslipidaemias prevention/management in LAC.

Highlights

There is a growing body of evidence about levels, patterns and trends of body mass index, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2019; NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2017a) diabetes, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2016) blood pressure and hypertension, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2017b; Geldsetzer et al, 2019) yet much less has been reported about dyslipidaemias and cholesterol (Farzadfar et al, 2011; NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2020a)
We summarized trends in total cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol and triglycerides; in addition, we reported on trends of dyslipidaemias with clinical relevance: high total cholesterol, high LDL-Cholesterol, low HDL-Cholesterol and high triglycerides
Our findings suggest that low HDL Cholesterol is the most common dyslipidaemia trait in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) since 2005

Summary

Introduction

There is a growing body of evidence about levels, patterns and trends of body mass index, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2019; NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2017a) diabetes, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2016) blood pressure and hypertension, (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2017b; Geldsetzer et al, 2019) yet much less has been reported about dyslipidaemias and cholesterol (Farzadfar et al, 2011; NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), 2020a). Available evidence already suggests there are non-trivial differences in lipid levels with other regions that deserve further scrutiny (Farzadfar et al, 2011; Ponte-Negretti et al, 2017a; PonteNegretti et al, 2017b) These facts show that regional evidence on lipid profiles and trends is limited in LAC, hampering the formulation of health policies and practice guidelines to prevent, treat and control dyslipidaemias with a regional focus. This dearth of evidence has relevant implications for public health, clinical medicine and research in LAC. It is unknown whether surveillance systems are urgently needed to monitor dyslipidaemias, because the current cholesterol levels and whether they have increased or decreased have not been

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