The Prevalence of Hpyerlipidemia in Children and Adolescents in the Province of Cáceres

Abstract

Background: the lipid factor is currently considered to be the main agent responsible for cardiovascular risk in young individuals. This is already present during infancy in proportions that give rise to concern, and is growing, as has would seem to have been shown by several national studies. This study analyses the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in children within the province of Caceres according to several different criteria, and describes changes according to age groups and sex, comparing the overall results with those of other national studies. Methods: a cross - sectional descriptive study of a representative and proportional sample of 2,150 children aged 2 to 6 years old in the province of Caceres (N = 91,083). The following were determined: total cholesterol, fractions, apolipoproteins and risk coefficients (enzymatic technique). Results: 27.9% of children presented total cholesterol values of >200 mg/dl; 7.5% of females and 4.7% of males had figures of more than 230 mg/dl. Levels of C-LDL > 130 mg/dl appear in 26.4%, Apo-B >75 mg/dl in 65.5% and C-NO-HDL > 165 in 8.4%. C-HDL- <35 mg/dl was found in 3.3% of individuals, while Apo-A < 100 mg/dl was only found in 0.3%. The ratios between CT/HDL > 3.5 and LDL/HDL > 2.2 were found to be 36..1% and 39.8%, respectively. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia is higher in females and pre-puberty stages. Conclusions: overall, and independently of the criteria used, the proportion of cases of hyperlipidemia is high, and is above the levels cited in other Spanish studies. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia is highest in females before puberty, who display the most discriminatory risk coefficients, and best identify the change in the lipid profile at puberty.