Cholesterol, Exercise and Diet: A Cross-sectional Survey of Middle-aged Maltese Adults

Abstract

Researchers have shown that poor lifestyle habits like unhealthy dietary intake, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol consumption exert negative effects on the cholesterol levels and risk of adverse health outcomes in most segments of the population. For middle-aged adults, specifically, high cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, represents a key risk factor in the onset of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are considered to be the leading cause of death in this age cohort and result in substantial public health care costs at both a European and local level. Maltese researchers have meanwhile posited that poor awareness exists in the local population about the harmful effects of unhealthy lifestyle factors on cholesterol levels. Given the generally high obesity rates in Malta and the prevalence of lifestyle-related risk factors, like smoking and physical inactivity in particular, a cross-sectional survey was designed to explore risk factors for hypercholesterolemia in a sample of 37 middle-aged adults having undergone a cholesterol test in the previous 12 months. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to ascertain the effects of exercise, diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption on the total cholesterol ratio (TCR). The findings suggest that exercise constitutes a particularly vital component of any intervention aimed at improving cholesterol levels due to its significant influence on TCR. Furthermore, the effect of exercise on lowered TCR values was not dependent on diet. The findings also do not support the idea that popular unhealthy foods unique to the Maltese context have any significant effects on cholesterol levels while controlling for overall dietary habits.