Prevalence of dyslipidemia and associated risk factors in Turkish adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Dyslipidemia is a modifiable major risk factor for coronary heart disease. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia among Turkish adults and its associations with other cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS

This study included 4309 people ages 20 to 83 years old from 7 provinces of Turkey. People from the city centers, districts, and villages were selected by a stratified sampling method. Weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured. Blood samples were obtained to determine glucose, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG); these parameters were measured with an autoanalyzer. Dyslipidemia was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS

Of 4309 subjects, 43% had high TC, 41.5% had low HDL-C, 36.2% had high LDL-C, and 35.7% had high TG. Of these measures, at least 1 lipid abnormality was diagnosed in 78.7% of men and 80.4% of women. The prevalence of high TC, LDL-C, and TG increased with age, with the highest prevalence in the 46-to-65-year-old age group. The mean values (mg/dL) of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG were 194.2 ± 47.7, 117.7 ± 41.1, 50.3 ± 16.3, and 145.4 ± 96.3, respectively. Dyslipidemia was positively associated with age, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, and blood pressure, and negatively associated with altitude.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of dyslipidemia in Turkey is an important public health problem. Enhanced public health preventive measures should be implemented to better diagnose and comprehensively treat dyslipidemia in Turkey.