[Serum total cholesterol and 10-year cardiovascular risk in a Chinese cohort aged 35-64 years].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between serum total cholesterol (TC) and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in subjects aged 35-64 years.


METHODS
This prospective study was performed from 1992 to 2002 in 11 provinces of China and the association between baseline TC level and the development of cardiovascular diseases was analyzed in 30 384 subjects aged 35-64 years using Cox multivariate proportional hazards regression.


RESULTS
(1) Compared with the group of TC < 3.64 mmol/L (140 mg/dl), multivariate-adjusted relative risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease (ICVD, including CHD and ischemic stroke) increased continuously with increasing TC level. (2) TC level was positively related to the occurrence of ischemic stroke, but not to hemorrhagic stroke. The risk of CHD increased by 74% (RR = 1.743) and the risk of ischemic stroke increased by 12% (RR = 1.119) in the group with TC > or = 5.72 mmol/L compared with the group with TC < 5.72 mmol/L (220 mg/dl). (3) High serum cholesterol was responsible to 5.9% of ICVD, 11.7% of the acute CHD and 2.9% of the acute stroke. (4) At each TC level, the 10-year risk of ICVD increased in the presence of other risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Starting from TC of 3.64 mmol/L, the risk of ICVD increases continuously with increasing TC level. Multiple risk factor intervention should be strengthened to reduce the overall risk of CVD.
Wang
Wei
W
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Beijing Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing 100029, China.
Zhao
Dong
D
Liu
Jing
J
Zeng
Zhe-chun
ZC
Sun
Jia-yi
JY
Liu
Jun
J
Qin
Lan-ping
LP
Wu
Zhao-su
ZS
D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D002784:Cholesterol