Low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol is the most prevalent metabolic abnormality for Australian Aboriginal men and women even when lean.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of the prevalence and risk of the metabolic syndrome to body mass index (BMI) in Australian Aboriginal people. It was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data obtained from population-based screenings in Aboriginal communities in central and northern Australia (913 participants recruited between 1993 and 1997). Forty-one percent of men and 48% of women conformed to the National Cholesterol Education Program definition for the metabolic syndrome (chi2=3.72, P=0.054). The prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was high in all BMI categories (89 and 95% in men and women, respectively). The prevalence of all other metabolic abnormalities increased linearly with BMI. The metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in Aboriginal communities and is strongly associated with BMI. Low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was the predominant component of the metabolic syndrome across sex groups and BMI strata.