title: Seroepidemiological prevalence of hepatitis delta virus in eastern Saudi Arabia.
abstract: To describe hypercholesterolemia in an urban community in Saudi Arabia, total serum cholesterol (TSC) was measured in 966 apparently healthy males (475 Saudi Arabs, 351 other Arabs and 140 non-Arabs) using a portable analyzer (Boehringer Model[R]). Mean age was 35.9 years (SD+/-9.1) and mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.2 kg/m(2) (SD+/-3.4) with a mean TSC of 5.20 mmol (SD+/-1.21). Mean TSC was significantly higher among non-Arabs at 5.74 mmol/L (SD+/-1.48) than in Saudi Arabs at 4.93 mmol/L (SD+/-1.11), P<0.001 mmol/L. TSC was higher than 5.20 mmol/L in 44.3% and higher than 6.80 mmol/L in 6.9% of the population. TSC was higher than 6.80 mmol/L in 3.6% of Saudi Arabs, 8.0% in other Arabs and 15.7% in the non-Arabs. This calls for cholesterol screening of the indigenous male population for hypercholesterolemia and other coronary heart disease risk factors at every opportunity. Among expatriate males, a mass screening strategy might be appropriate. The health care system needs appropriate adjustment to deal with this growing health problem.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dammam Regional Laboratory and Blood Bank; Tropical Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; Tropical Medicine, Minufia University, Shebin, el-Kom, Egypt, and Medicolegal, Zagazig University, Egypt.
authors.forename: S el-S
authors.initials: Sel-S
authors.lastname: Fathalla
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Abdulazziz
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sabri
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Awad