Hypercholesterolemia and its correlates in Taiwanese elderly people.
BACKGROUND
Our study used data collected in Chung-Shing-Shin-Tseun community in Taiwan in May 1998 to evaluate the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and the cardiovascular and sociodemographic risk factors in elderly people.


METHODS
Individuals aged 65 and over were recruited as study subjects. A total of 1,093 persons, out of 1,774 registered residents, were contacted in face-to-face interview. The response rate was 61.6 percent. However, only 586 respondents took blood tests and completed questionnaires. Analysis in this study was based on these 586 subjects. The t-test, chi-square analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were used to study the significant correlates of hypercholesterolemia.


RESULTS
Our results showed that 66 percent were men and 34 percent were women. The mean age was 73.1 +/- 5.3 years. The mean total cholesterol value was 5.1 +/- 1 mmol/l in elderly men and 5.5 +/- 1.3 mmol/l in elderly women. The proportions of hypercholesterolemia were 43.7 percent in elderly men and 59.6 percent in elderly women. After controlling the other covariates, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the significant related factors of hypercholesterolemia were age, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperuricemia. No significant association was found between hypercholesterolemia and gender, obesity, high systolic pressure, high diastolic pressure, hyperglycemia, educational level, retirement status, or marital status.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypercholesterolemia is significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperuricemia in elderly people. It is important to determine other metabolic disorders if one metabolic disorder is disclosed.
Lin
C C
CC
Department of Community Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Li
T C
TC
Lai
S W
SW
Li
C I
CI
Tan
C K
CK
Ng
K C
KC
Lai
M M
MM
Liu
C S
CS
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000652:urine
D014527:Uric Acid; D002784:Cholesterol