title: Association of Decreased High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) With Obesity and Risk Estimates for Decreased HDL-C Attributable to Obesity: Preliminary Findings From a Hospital-Based Study in a City From Northeast India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is an important risk factor for decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, which predisposes to cardiovascular diseases. But, the relative contribution of obesity toward decreased HDL-C and the risk estimates of decreased HDL-C attributable to obesity are unavailable. Such measures will help in understanding the extent by which the burden of decreased HDL-C can be reduced by tackling obesity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to ( a) determine the association between decreased HDL-C and obesity and ( b) estimate the attributable risk proportion (ARP) and population attributable risk proportion (PARP) for decreased HDL-C due to obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were measured as indices of overweight (or generalized obesity) and central obesity, respectively in 190 subjects (95 cases with low HDL-C and 95 healthy controls with normal HDL-C) from Guwahati city. Crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated along with the risk estimates (ARP and PARP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  People with overweight or generlized obesity (adjusted OR = 4.90, 95% CI = 3.59-6.68), and people with central obesity (adjusted OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 2.39-4.64) had significantly greater odds of developing decreased HDL-C. Among the exposed, 79.8% of the decreased HDL-C cases could be attributed to overweight (or generalized obesity), while 72.8% cases could be attributed to central obesity. In the overall population, the corresponding figures were 57.1% and 36%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased HDL-C is strongly associated with and largely attributable to obesity.
authors.affiliation: 1 Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India.|2 North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: Kaustubh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.affiliation: 1 Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Mauchumi Saikia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: 3 State Biotech Hub and Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility, College of Veterinary Science, Guwahati, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Probodh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borah
authors.affiliation: 4 Regional College of Nursing, Guwahati, Assam, India.|5 Army Institute of Nursing, Guwahati, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Dulmoni
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Das
keywords: Assam; Guwahati; attributable risk proportion; body mass index; high-density lipoprotein; population attributable risk proportion; waist circumference