Ethnic trends in lipid tests in general practice.
BACKGROUND
South Asian migrants have a higher cardiovascular mortality than the indigenous population. Contributory factors may include a lower rate of cardiovascular risk assessment uptake and compliance.


OBJECTIVE
To compare rates of lipid testing, follow-up and patterns of dyslipidaemia in South Asian and non-South-Asian populations in Manchester.


METHODS
Retrospective cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Lipid requests from 14 general practices were analysed, using name recognition software to assign ethnicity.


RESULTS
Compared with non-South-Asians, the age-standardized rate of lipid testing in South Asians was similar in men at 12.1% (95%CI 11.6-12.6) vs. 11.2% (9.5-13.0), but higher in women at 18.6% (15.9-21.2) vs. 13.2% (12.6-13.7). Trends of cholesterol with repeat testing were similar in the two populations. However, South Asian women had lower mean levels of total cholesterol (5.50 vs. 5.68 mmol/l, p = 0.021), lower levels of HDL (1.20 vs. 1.46 mmol/l, p < 0.001), an excess of hypertriglyceridaemia (1.62 vs. 1.45 mmol/l, p = 0.035) and a greater proportion with cholesterol > 5.2 mmol/l combined with low HDL (43.1% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.002). South Asian men had lower levels of total cholesterol (5.17 vs. 5.37 mmol/l, p = 0.048) and lower levels of HDL (1.07 vs. 1.64 mmol/l, p < 0.001). There was no difference in the proportion of South Asians men and women with cholesterol < 5.2 mmol/l combined with low HDL.


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of lipid testing and change in cholesterol levels with repeated testing did not differ between South Asian and non-South-Asian groups. The pattern of dyslipidaemia seen in this South Asian population, especially women, was different from that of the non-South-Asian population, with possible implications for cardiovascular risk assessment.
France
M W
MW
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Barlow Medical Centre, Manchester, UK. mfrance@labmed.cmht.nwest.nhs.uk
Kwok
S
S
McElduff
P
P
Seneviratne
C J
CJ
D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D008055:Lipids; D002784:Cholesterol