title: Serum lipid levels are positively correlated with lumbar disc herniation--a retrospective study of 790 Chinese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abnormal serum lipid levels have been shown to be associated with the occurrence of atherosclerosis, but little is known about the relationships of them with the risk of developing intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) in Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a case-control study to assess the relationship between serum lipid levels and lumbar disc degeneration. A total of 790 Chinese patients were recruited for this study at the time of hospitalization. We examined fasting serum lipid levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). 396 patients (235 men and 161 women; mean age: 41.07 years) underwent surgery for single-level lumbar disc herniation. A control group of 394 patients (225 men and 169 women; mean age: 42.1 years) underwent surgery for wounded lower limbs during the same period. Patients in the control group were collected randomly from among patients who were age- and sex-matched patients with the case group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with lumbar disc herniation had significantly higher TC and LDL-C serum concentrations (P < 0.001 for both) than controls. Percentage of High-TC, High-TG, High-LDL-C, borderline High-TC and borderline High-LDL-C were significantly higher in the disc herniation group (P = 0.017, P = 0.002, P = 0.039, P =0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly associated with disc herniation (P < 0.001 for both). Logistic regression revealed that patients with higher serum LDL-C levels had a higher risk of disc herniation, in which odds ratio (OR) was 1.462 and confidence interval (CI) was 1.179 ~ 1.813. Moreover, patients with High-TG and borderline High-LDL-C had a higher probability of disc herniation (OR: 2.974, CI: 1.488 ~ 5.945, statistical power: 100%; OR: 1.626, CI: 1.012 ~ 2.612, statistical power: 61.4%, respectively). However, hyperlipidaemia did not seem to be associated with the herniated segment of the lumbar intervertebral disc (p = 0.374).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that dyslipidaemia may be associated with a higher risk of developing lumbar disc herniation. Serum lipid levels could be a useful predictor for intervertebral disc degeneration in Chinese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.|Department of Orthopaedics, Taian Central Hospital, Taian, Shandong, 271000, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuedong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yunpeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Information Engineering, Taishan Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jingkun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jialin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P. R. China. forrestnie@sina.com.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Cholesterol; HDL-C; Intervertebral disc degeneration; LDL-C; Serum lipids; Triglycerides