Short-term incidence of dyslipidemia traits by urbanization and altitude: The CRONICAS Cohort Study

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Purpose This prospective study evaluated the association between living at different degrees of urbanization and altitude with five different incident dyslipidemia traits. Methods Using baseline (2010) and follow-up data (~2.4 years later) of Peruvian adults (aged ≥35 years) from the CRONICAS Cohort Study, the incidence of each trait was separately analyzed. Outcomes were hypercholesterolemia (≥200 mg/dL), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-c] (≥130 mg/dL), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c] (males <40 mg/dL, females <50 mg/dL), high non-HDL-c (≥160 mg/dL), and hypertriglyceridemia (≥150 mg/dL). Urbanization (highly-urban, urban, semi-urban, rural) and altitude (low- and high-altitude) were the exposures. Results The incidence of hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, high LDL-c, high non-HDL-c, and low HDL-c was 22.0 (95% CI 19.6-24.5), 20.1 (95% CI 17.7-22.5), 15.3 (95% CI 13.2-17.3), 13.0 (95% CI 11.9-15.9) and 11.1 (95% CI 9.6-14.2) cases per 100 person-years, respectively. Compared to lowlanders, the incidence of low HDL-c among highlanders was over three folds higher (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.22; 95% CI 2.00-5.20) and that of high LDL-c was lower (IRR 0.65; 95% CI 0.45 – 0.94). Urbanization was not significantly associated with dyslipidemia. Conclusion Individuals living at high-altitude showed better LDL-c, but worse HDL-c profile expressed as lower incidence of high LDL-c and higher incidence of low HDL-c, respectively.