Serum lipid profiles and their relationship to cardiovascular disease in the elderly: the PREV-ICTUS study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between different serum lipid profiles and the prevalence of established cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an elderly population.


METHODS
An analysis was undertaken of the PREV-ICTUS population-based study on Spanish subjects aged > or =60 years. The following definitions were used: abnormal LDL cholesterol (LDL-C): > or =130 mg/dl (> or =3.3 mmol/L), or > or =100 mg/dl (> or =2.5 mmol/L) in those with diabetes or CVD, or treatment with any hypolipidaemic drug; low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C): <40 mg/dl (<1 mmol/L) (men), or <50 mg/dl (<1.3 mmol/L) (women), and abnormal triglycerides (TG): > or =150 mg/dl (> or =1.7 mmol/L) or treatment with fibrates. We defined eight groups: A (normal lipid profile), B (isolated abnormal LDL-C), C (isolated abnormal TG), D (isolated low HDL-C), E (abnormal LDL-C and HDL-C), F (abnormal LDL-C and TG), G (abnormal TG and HDL-C), H (abnormal LDL-C, HDL-C and TG). A multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relationship between each lipid profile and CVD.


RESULTS
A total of 6010 subjects (mean age 71.7 years, 53.5% women, 73.2% with hypertension, 29.2% with diabetes mellitus, 24.3% with CVD), were included in the analysis. LDL-C elevation was present in 78.1%, 23.3% had low HDL-C and 35.7% abnormal TG. Combined dyslipidaemias were frequent (40.3%). Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for CVD, compared with those with a normal lipid profile, were 2.07 (1.24-3.46) for abnormal HDL-C (p = 0.005), 4.09 (3.10-5.39) for abnormal LDL-C; 6.41 (4.59-8.95) for abnormal LDL-C plus HDL-C, 5.33 (3.98-7.14) for abnormal LDL-C plus TG and 7.59 (5.51-10.5) for those with the three parameters altered (all p < 0.001). Compared with those with isolated LDL-C elevation, those with abnormal LDL-C plus HDL-C had 1.57 (1.30-1.97) higher odds of having CVD (p < 0.001), the figures being 1.30 (1.11-1.53) for those with abnormal LDL-C plus TG and 1.86 (1.52-2.28) for those with abnormal LDL-C, TG plus HDL-C (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Lipid abnormalities are frequent in the elderly, and are associated with the presence of CVD. Low HDL-C and/or abnormal TG levels, when added to abnormal LDL-C, are associated with a higher prevalence of CVD, suggesting the advisability of a comprehensive lipid evaluation and treatment earlier in life.
Lozano
José V
JV
Serrería 2 Health Center, Valencia, Spain. jvlozano@interbook.net
Pallarés
Vicente
V
Cea-Calvo
Luis
L
Llisterri
José L
JL
Fernández-Pérez
Cristina
C
Martí-Canales
Juan C
JC
Aznar
Jose
J
Gil-Guillén
Vicente
V
Redón
Josep
J
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides