Coronary heart disease risk factors among blood donors in northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE

To establish reference blood levels of total blood cholesterol (TC), lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C & HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) and determine the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and other coronary heart disease risk factors.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

The blood bank at the Gondar College of Medical Sciences Hospital--a teaching and referral hospital in northwest Ethiopia.

SUBJECTS

Adult, healthy men who who voluntarily donated blood between March 1996 and July 1997.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mean, median and ranges of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG; prevalence rates of hypercholesterolaemia, overweight, smoking and elevated blood pressures. Effect of age, BMI, residence, monthly income on blood lipid levels.

RESULTS

A total of 501 donors were investigated and of these 316 (63%) were urban residents. The mean (SD) TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG levels in urban donors were 162.5 (35.1), 93.8 (33.9), 47.1 (8.1) and 108.1 (52.5); and in donors from rural area were 158.5 (30), 91.0 (30), 47.4 (7.4), and 98.6 (55.3), respectively; without significant difference between them. However, urban residency was significantly associated (B = 7.2, 95% CI = 1.5-12.9) with the total cholesterol level. The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia (TC > 200 mg) was 10.4% in urban donors and 8.1% in rural donors (chi 2 = 0.75, p = 0.39). The prevalence rates of smoking, high blood pressure and overweight in donors from urban and rural areas were, 14% versus 6%, 14% versus 14% and 1.6% versus 1.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and other coronary heart disease risk factors are low in both urban and rural donors in northwest Ethiopia.