title: Blood glucose and cholesterol levels in adult population of Bangladesh: Results from STEPS 2006 survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A nationally representative survey was carried out to determine the distribution of blood glucose and cholesterol in adult population of Bangladesh in the absence of existing data.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study adopted a multistage and geographically clustered sampling technique of households. A total of 2610 individuals (1444 men and 1166 women) aged 25-64 years were selected from rural and urban areas. Capillary blood glucose and total cholesterol levels were measured using an overnight fasting state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the participants was 41 years [standard deviation (SD), 11 years]. Half of them (49%) were from urban areas. Half of them (51%) had primary or higher education. Mean glucose was 74mg/dL (SD 23mg/dL). Men had higher mean glucose levels (79mg/dL) than women (67mg/dL). Age-standardized prevalence of diabetes (blood glucose level ≥126mg/dL and/or use of anti-diabetic medication) was 5.5%. In men, it was almost two-and-half times (7.6%) compared with women (2.8%). It was also double in urban areas (7.8%) compared with rural areas (3.4%). Mean cholesterol level among all participants was 167mg/dL (SD 26mg/dL). Men and women had almost similar levels (169mg/dL versus 166mg/dL, respectively). Prevalence of high cholesterol level (≥240mg/dL) was very low (1.3%) in both men (2.2%) and women (0.5%). However, the prevalence of borderline high cholesterol was substantial (5.8%) in this sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of high hypercholesterolemia is low, whereas there is a high prevalence of borderline high cholesterol and diabetes in the adult population of Bangladesh. This warrants population-based interventions to tackle this problem.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Electronic address: zamanm@who.int.
authors.forename: M Mostafa
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.affiliation: National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Electronic address: sohel_r_choudhury@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sohel Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Choudhury
authors.affiliation: Ekhlaspur Center of Health, Chandpur, Bangladesh. Electronic address: ahmedjasim1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jasimuddin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Bangladesh Cancer Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Electronic address: ruskin1963@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Md Habibullah
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Talukder
authors.affiliation: Zia Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Electronic address: shafiqur.torun@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A H M Shafiqur
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Bangladesh; Cholesterol; Diabetes; Glucose; STEP survey