Lower Prevalence Of Hypercholesterolemia Research Articles

Age- and sex-dependent associations between self-reported physical activity levels and self-reported cardiovascular risk factors: a population-based cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe amount of regular physical activity (PA) can modulate the prevalence of traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as obesity, systemic hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, how different PA levels either below (< 600 MET min/week), within (600–1200 MET min/week), or above (> 1200 MET min/week) the range of the minimal WHO recommendations impact the age- and sex-dependent prevalence of these risk factors remains to be elucidated.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate these relationships using population-based self-reported data collected in a central European country (Austria, 2019). The sample included a total of 15,461 persons (7166 males: 16–95 + years, BMI 26.6 ± 4.4; 8295 females: 16–95 + years, BMI 25.1 ± 5.0). Besides various lifestyle factors (e.g., dietary habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption), variables of particular interest were the age- and sex-dependent amount of weekly PA and prevalence of risk factors for CVD. Sex-specific logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between self-reported PA and risk factor prevalence.ResultsRelatively small beneficial effects were found regarding the prevalence of risk factors for CVD when achieving PA levels corresponding to 600–1200 MET min/week as compared to those who did not meet these recommendations. However, exceeding the WHO recommendations provided much more pronounced benefits, especially in younger and older age groups. Adjusted ORs revealed that high volumes of PA (> 1200 MET min/week) were associated with a 32–43% reduction in the prevalence of obesity and T2D compared to those who did not achieve the WHO recommendations (< 600 MET min/week), as well as with a lower prevalence of systemic hypertension only in women and a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia only in men.ConclusionsExceeding minimal WHO recommendations for PA promises large beneficial effects, particularly on the prevalence of obesity and T2D. Demonstrated sex differences in PA levels and their association with cardiovascular risk factors may provide an important basis for preventive health counseling.

Patterns of beverages consumption and prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases.

Beverages consumption influences diet quality in general and has been associated with the development of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCCD). We aimed to verify the association between beverage consumption patterns and the prevalence of NCCD. A cross-sectional household and population-based study was conducted with 489 individuals aged 20 years and older. The presence of NCCD (arterial hypertension, diabetes, cancer and hypercholesterolemia) was obtained by self-report, while obesity was diagnosed by measuring body weight, height and waist circumference. Beverage consumption patterns were obtained by principal component analysis. The association between beverages patterns and the prevalence of NCCD was verified using Poisson regression, expressed as prevalence ratio (PR) and adjusted for potential confounding factors. Three beverage patterns were identified: ‘ultra-processed beverages’, ‘alcoholic beverages’ and ‘healthy beverages’. Individuals with greater adherence to the Ultra-processed Beverages Pattern had a 2·77 times higher prevalence of cancer (PR: 3·77; 95 % CI 1·57, 9·07). Higher adherence to the Alcoholic Beverages Pattern was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity (PR: 1·97; 95 % CI 1·13, 3·44). In contrast, individuals in the second tertile of adherence to the Healthy Beverages Pattern had a 39 % lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (PR: 0·61; 95 % CI 0·40, 0·92), and individuals in the third tertile had a 10 % lower prevalence of abdominal obesity estimated by the waist-to-height ratio (PR: 0·90; 95 % CI 0·83, 0·97). Beverage consumption patterns may be associated with a higher prevalence of NCCD, regardless of other risk factors. It is therefore important to conduct more studies investigating the impact of beverages patterns on health.

Hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia in Bangladesh: Evaluating role of physical activity from cross-sectional STEPS 2018 survey.

The objective of this study was to assess current condition of three noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)-diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia and vulnerable cohorts among adults in Bangladesh. The STEPwise Approach to the NCD Risk Factor Surveillance survey of 2018 was analyzed to evaluate the association between NCDs and sociodemographic factors, levels of physical activity, and behavioral measurements. Complex survey weight-adjusted logistic models were fitted. From 6875 samples, prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were 27.3%, 9.8%, and 30.2%, respectively. The prevalence of the three NCDs were higher among older respondents. Low occupational activity with obese-BMI status people was more prone to NCDs. Lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was observed in Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh, whereas lesser diabetes in Khulna region. Likelihood of NCDs were higher among highly educated, urban residents with low physical activity. Lesser physical activity, and lack of weight maintenance were found to be key factors in higher rates of NCDs in Bangladesh. Greater education and less strenuous profession led to a higher chance of NCDs. Overall, physical activity and maintenance of weight seem to be factors driving higher rates of NCDs in Bangladesh. As a preventive measure against NCDs, an active lifestyle is to be encouraged, particularly to the most vulnerable cohort.

Modifiable potential risk factors in familial and sporadic frontotemporal dementia.

ObjectiveOnly a few studies have evaluated modifiable risk factors for frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we evaluated several modifiable factors and their association with disease phenotype, genotype, and prognosis in a large study population including Finnish and Italian patients with FTD and control groups.MethodsIn this case–control study, we compared the presence of several cardiovascular and other lifestyle‐related diseases and education between Finnish and Italian patients with familial (n = 376) and sporadic (n = 654) FTD, between different phenotypes of FTD, and between a subgroup of Finnish FTD patients (n = 221) and matched Finnish patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 214) and cognitively healthy controls (HC) (n = 100).ResultsPatients with sporadic FTD were less educated (p = 0.042, B = ‐0.560, 95% CI −1.101 to −0.019) and had more heart diseases (p < 0.001, OR = 2.265, 95% CI 1.502–3.417) compared to patients with familial FTD. Finnish FTD patients were less educated (p = 0.032, B = 0.755, 95% CI 0.064–1.466) compared with AD patients. The Finnish FTD group showed lower prevalence of hypertension than the HC group (p = 0.003, OR = 2.162, 95% CI 1.304–3.583) and lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia than in the HC group (p < 0.001, OR = 2.648, 95%CI 1.548–4.531) or in the AD group (p < 0.001, OR = 1.995, 95% CI 1.333–2.986). Within the FTD group, clinical phenotypes also differed regarding education and lifestyle‐related factors.InterpretationOur study suggests distinct profiles of several modifiable factors in the FTD group depending on the phenotype and familial inheritance history and that especially sporadic FTD may be associated with modifiable risk factors.

Differences in the prevalence of physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors between people living at low (

Living at moderate altitude (up to about 2,000 m) was shown to be associated with distinct health benefits, including lower mortality from cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. However, it remains unclear, whether those benefits are mainly due to environmental conditions (e.g., hypoxia, temperature, solar ultra-violet radiation) or differences in lifestyle behavior, including regular physical activity levels. This study aims to compare altitude-related differences in levels of physical activity and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes in an Alpine country. We interrogated the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) 2019, a nationally representative study of persons aged over 15 years living in private Austrian households. The results confirm a higher prevalence of hypertension (24.2% vs. 16.8%) in men living at low (<1,001 m) compared to those at moderate (1,001 to 2,000 m) altitude. Women living above 1,000 m tend to have a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (14.8% vs. 18.8%) and diabetes (3.2% vs. 5.6%) than their lower living peers. Both sexes have lower average body mass index (BMI) when residing at moderate altitude (men: 25.7, women: 23.9) compared to those living lower (26.6 and 25.2). Severe obesity (BMI > 40) is almost exclusively restricted to low altitude dwellers. Only men report to be more physically active on average when living higher (1,453 vs. 1,113 weekly MET minutes). These novel findings confirm some distinct benefits of moderate altitude residence on heath. Beside climate conditions, differences in lifestyle behavior, i.e., physical activity, have to be considered when interpreting those health-related divergences, and consequently also mortality data, between people residing at low and moderate altitudes.

Endemic hepatitis B and C virus areas are associated with lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia: Ecological and cross‐sectional studies

SummaryBackgroundsPatients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been documented to have lower levels of cholesterol and triglyceride. This study attempts to validate this correlation from ecological and cross‐sectional research in community.MethodsA total of 56,336 subjects in 533 villages of Tainan County underwent health screening in 2004. The antibody to HCV (anti‐HCV), Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were checked. We used village as a unit to analyze the correlations between prevalence of HBsAg or anti‐HCV and hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia. Statistical analyses were simple linear regression and Student t test.ResultsMean serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were both significantly lower in subjects with HBV and HCV infection (all p &lt; 0.001). Village‐specific prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia (r = – 0.15) and hypertriglyceridemia (r = – 0.21) were negative correlated with prevalence of HBsAg significantly (all p &lt; 0.001). Village‐specific prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia (r = ‐ 0.323) and hypertriglyceridemia (r = ‐ 0.258) were also negative correlated with prevalence of anti‐HCV significantly (all p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionsIn this community‐based study, endemic villages of HBV or HCV infection were associated with a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia.Copyright © 2017, The Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan, The Digestive Endoscopy Society of Taiwan and Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver.

Raised serum TSH in morbid-obese and non-obese patients: effect on the circulating lipid profile

Morbid obesity is associated with a high rate of raised serum TSH associated with normal free thyroid hormones. The body repercussions of this thyroid abnormality, suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism, are still debated. In particular, it is unclear whether the raised serum TSH of obesity results in changes of circulating lipids typically observed in hypothyroidism. Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a raised serum TSH on the lipid profile in morbid-obese and non-obese patients. Serum TSH, FT4, FT3, Tg-Ab, TPO-Ab and lipids were measured in 55 morbid-obese (BMI > 40 kg/m(2)) and 55 non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m(2)) patients with a raised serum TSH. Despite similar serum levels of TSH, FT4 and FT3, morbid-obese patients displayed significantly lower mean levels of total cholesterol (200.8 ± 35.6 vs. 226.9 ± 41.4 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and a significantly lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (50.9 vs. 72.7 %, p < 0.01) when compared with non-obese patients. Morbid-obese patients also had lower mean serum HDL cholesterol and higher serum triglycerides. The impact of a raised serum TSH on the lipid profile differs in morbid-obese compared to non-obese patients, suggesting that obese patients might not be truly hypothyroid. Measuring total cholesterol could be a helpful tool for deciding whether a morbid-obese patient with a raised serum TSH should be given levothyroxine treatment.

Low Hemoglobin A1c in Nondiabetic Adults

OBJECTIVETo identify predictors of low hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (<5.0%) and to investigate the association of low HbA1c with cause-specific mortality and risk of liver disease hospitalization.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSProspective cohort study of 13,288 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Logistic regression was used to identify cross-sectional correlates of low HbA1c, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association of low HbA1c with cause-specific mortality.RESULTSCompared with participants with HbA1c in the normal range (5.0 to <5.7%), participants with low HbA1c were younger, less likely to smoke, had lower BMI, lower white cell count and fibrinogen levels, and lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and history of coronary heart disease. However, this group was more likely to have anemia and had a higher mean corpuscular volume. In adjusted Cox models with HbA1c of 5.0 to <5.7% as the reference group, HbA1c <5.0% was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.13–1.55) and of cancer death (1.47, 95% CI: 1.16–1.84). We also noted nonsignificant trends toward increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes (1.27, 95% CI: 0.93–1.75) and respiratory causes (1.42, 95% CI: 0.78–2.56). There was a J-shaped association between HbA1c and risk of liver disease hospitalization.CONCLUSIONSNo single cause of death appeared to drive the association between low HbA1c and total mortality. These results add to evidence that low HbA1c values may be a generalized marker of mortality risk in the general population.

Circulation: Clinical Summaries

Circulation: Clinical Summaries

Association of Vascular Risk Factors With Cervical Artery Dissection and Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults

Little is known about the risk factors for cervical artery dissection (CEAD), a major cause of ischemic stroke (IS) in young adults. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity are important risk factors for IS. However, their specific role in CEAD is poorly investigated. Our aim was to compare the prevalence of vascular risk factors in CEAD patients versus referents and patients who suffered an IS of a cause other than CEAD (non-CEAD IS) in the multicenter Cervical Artery Dissection and Ischemic Stroke Patients (CADISP) study. The study sample comprised 690 CEAD patients (mean age, 44.2 ± 9.9 years; 43.9% women), 556 patients with a non-CEAD IS (44.7 ± 10.5 years; 39.9% women), and 1170 referents (45.9 ± 8.1 years; 44.1% women). We compared the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m²) or overweightness (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m² and <30 kg/m²) between the 3 groups using a multinomial logistic regression adjusted for country of inclusion, age, and gender. Compared with referents, CEAD patients had a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.42 to 0.71; P<0.0001), obesity (odds ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.26 to 0.52; P<0.0001), and overweightness (odds ratio 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.88; P=0.002) but were more frequently hypertensive (odds ratio 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 2.1; P<0.0001). All vascular risk factors were less frequent in CEAD patients compared with young patients with a non-CEAD IS. The latter were more frequently hypertensive, diabetic, and current smokers compared with referents. These results, from the largest series to date, suggest that hypertension, although less prevalent than in patients with a non-CEAD IS, could be a risk factor of CEAD, whereas hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and overweightness are inversely associated with CEAD.

Lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hyperglyceridemia found in subjects with seropositivity for both Hepatitis B and C strains independently

To evaluate the association of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. We analyzed the computerized health datasets of 56,336 residents from a community-based comprehensive screening in Tainan County in southern Taiwan. The overall prevalence rates of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV were 10.9% and 10.2%, respectively. Anti-HCV, HBsAg, platelet counts, albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio), fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol levels, and body mass index (BMI) were abstracted for analyses. Multivariate logistic analysis was used for identification of the independent factors of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were 48.9% and 28.0%, respectively. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were associated with each other. Older age, negativity for HBsAg and anti-HCV, normal platelet counts, A/G ratio ≥ 1, higher BMI, and being diagnosed as diabetic were common independently associated factors of both hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Men had higher risk for hypertriglyceridemia, while women had higher risk for hypercholesterolemia. This large scale community-based study demonstrated that subjects with seropositivity for Hepatitis C not only had lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia but subjects with seropositivity for Hepatitis B had the same trend.

Different Distribution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors According to Ethnicity: A Study in a High Risk Population

This study compares the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in different ethnic groups at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases within general practices. A total of 430 patients (179 Dutch, 126 Turks, 50 Surinamese, 23 Moroccans, 23 Antilleans and 29 from other ethnic groups) were included in the study. Data collection consisted of questionnaires and physical and clinical examinations. 54% was female. The mean age was 53.1 (sd 9.9) years. There were important ethnic differences in the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors. Compared to the Dutch, ethnic minorities had significantly greater odds of being diabetic (OR = 3.2-19.4); but were less likely to smoke (OR = 0.10-0.53). Turkish individuals had a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia but were 2.4 times more likely to be obese than the Dutch. Hypertension was very common in all ethnic groups and no significant ethnic differences were found. These findings provide additional evidence of the need for tailored interventions for different ethnic groups in general practices.

Determinants of Physical Inactivity Among Men and Women From Greece: A 5-Year Follow-Up of the ATTICA Study

We sought to evaluate factors that are associated with physical activity changes among adults within a 5-year period. From May 2001 to December 2002 we randomly enrolled 1514 men and 1528 women without any evidence of cardiovascular or any other chronic disease. The sampling was stratified by the age-gender distribution of the greater area of Athens. Weekly energy expenditure assessed by considering frequency, duration, and intensity of sports-related physical activity. During 2006, the 5-year follow-up was performed in 1955 participants, which included, among others, current physical activity status. A total of 587 (61%) men and 673 (68%) women were classified as physically inactive at baseline, whereas 661 (69%) men and 728 (73%) women were classified as physically inactive at follow-up; thus, a 13% increase in physical inactivity rate was observed in men and a 7% in women during the follow-up period (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that male gender, being a nonsmoker, healthy eating, better self-reported quality-of-life, and lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and incidence of cardiovascular disease were the characteristics of people that remained physically active; advanced age, anxiety and depression, overweight, and low quality-of-life were the baseline predictors of physical inactivity among initially active participants, which also had a greater incidence of cardiovascular disease. Gender, aging, psychological disorders, body mass, smoking, dietary habits, perceived health status, and quality-of-life were the most important discriminating factors of physical activity changes.

Myocardial infarction with angiographically normal coronary arteries in the contemporary era

Myocardial infarction with angiographically normal coronary arteries (MINC) is a well recognized clinical entity, but limited data regarding outcome and prognostic factors exist in the literature. This study sought to identify clinical characteristics and etiological factors as well as outcome predictors in patients with MINC. Retrospective follow-up study. Fifty-eight patients presenting with MINC fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Clinical characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and etiologic and laboratory data were harvested and compared with those obtained from patients with myocardial infarction and single vessel coronary artery disease (MISVD). Follow-up information regarding survival and cardiac events such as angina, reinfarction and heart failure was collected and prognostic factors identified. Compared with the MISVD group, MINC patients had a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and ST elevation. Hypercoagulopathy, collagen tissue disorder, cocaine abuse and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy were identified etiologies in some MINC patients. During follow-up, patients with MINC were less likely to sustain reinfarction (log-rank P<0.001) and cardiovascular death (log-rank P=0.04) on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Recurrence of angina and heart failure were the most prevalent cardiac events in the MINC group. Cox proportional multivariate regression analysis identified left ventricular ejection fraction as an independent predictor of cardiac events in the MINC cohort. MINC is associated with lower mortality and morbidity compared with infarction in the setting of single vessel disease. Left ventricular function is an independent predictor of poor outcome.

Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Saudi Arabia, epidemiological study

The objective of this study was to look at the pattern of serum total cholesterol concentration (TCC) distribution and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (HC) in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional national epidemiological household survey was carried out, consisting of 4539 Saudi subjects, over the age of 15 years. The sample was adjusted for gender, age, regional and residency, and urban versus rural population distribution. The following details were taken for each subject: height, weight, calculation of body mass index (BMI) and random blood samples for total cholesterol measurements. It was found that the mean TCC for all female subjects was significantly higher than for male subjects (4.24 versus 4 mmol/l). The mean TCC of female subjects, aged 40–59 years was higher, but not significantly so, than for male subjects (4.5 versus 4.4 mmol/l). There was a progressive increase in TCC with age, reaching a maximum at the fifth and sixth decades for male and female subjects, respectively. There was a progressive increase in mean TCC with increasing BMI values for male and female subjects with higher values of mean TCC for female subjects for any given BMI value. The prevalence of HC, 5.2–6.2 mmol/l was 9% and 11% for all male and female subjects, respectively ( P = 0.74), whereas the prevalence of HC, >6.2 mmol/l was 7% and 8% for male and female subjects, respectively ( P = 0.52). The prevalence of HC 5.2–6.2 mmol/l for subjects aged 40–59 years was 14% and 10% for male and female subjects, respectively ( P = 0.67), whereas the prevalence of HC >6.2 mmol/l was 9% and 11% for male and female subjects, respectively ( P = 0.6). There was a progressive increase in the prevalence of HC with age for male and female subjects. The prevalence of HC >5.2 mmol/l increased with increasing BMI values. The prevalence of HC of female subjects was significantly higher than for male subjects among normal weight groups. The prevalence of HC (>6.2 mmol/l) for female subjects was higher, however, not significant than for male subjects among overweight and obese groups. The prevalence of HC, whether for male or female subjects, was higher among diabetics when compared with non-diabetic subjects. The prevalence of HC (>6.2 mmol/l) among male subjects was higher for smokers when compared with non-smokers. It was concluded that Saudi subjects have lower prevalence of HC than the European and American populations. This can partially be explained by the younger nature of the population. The prevalence of HC is likely to increase in the near future with the increasing percentage of the aged population in the community, and with the effects of a longer exposure to the acquired western life-style and nutritional habits, which is showing an impact with the increase in the prevalence of obesity. The cause of coronary heart disease is multifactorial, HC being one of the main contributors. Therefore, there is a need to study, in detail, the prevalence of other risk factors, such as: obesity, smoking, hypertension etc. There is a need to promote health awareness among the population with an emphasis on controlling weight and carrying out periodic cholesterol measurements.