Prevalence and risk factors for dyslipidemia among South Indian adults: A community based-NCD study

Abstract

Background: Dyslipidemia is a crucial risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, there is limited data available on the differences in the prevalence of dyslipidemia between rural and urban populations in India. The aim of the present investigation is to describe the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the risk factors associated with adverse lipid profiles among adults residing in rural, sub-urban, and urban areas of India, and to assess its association with diabetes and hypertension. Methods: We enrolled adults over the age of 20 who lived in three distinct demographic areas in South India: rural, sub-urban, and urban. Data on demographics, lifestyle, disease history, family history, body weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, and clinical characteristics were collected for this study. We used chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression to analyze demographic prevalence and risk factors related to lipid abnormalities among study participants. Results: This study enrolled 2976 randomly selected participants from rural, sub-urban, and urban communities in Tamil Nadu, India. Of these, 865 (29.1%) were rural residents, 1030 (34.6%) were sub-urban residents, and 1081 (36.3%) were urban residents. About 80% of women who lived in the suburban area had higher rates of low-HDL cholesterol. Compared to sub-urban (29.9%, 49%, and 21.1%) and rural (33.4%, 43.4%, and 24.1%) populations, urban populations had higher prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated LDL-C (37.3%, 52.5%, and 38.6%), respectively. Men were more likely than women to develop dyslipidemia before the age of 40, but after that age, men showed a reduced risk of dyslipidemia than women, except for low HDL cholesterol. Age group, gender, current drinker, overweight, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension showed a significant association (p < 0.05) with dyslipidemia. Conclusions: The study found that more than 85% of the sub-urban and urban population had dyslipidemia (at least one lipid abnormality) compared to rural residents (78.5%). The prevalence rates were higher among those with diabetes and hypertension in urban residents.