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. 2022 Oct 28;21(1):111.
doi: 10.1186/s12944-022-01721-y.

Distribution of lipid levels and prevalence of hyperlipidemia: data from the NHANES 2007-2018

Zhenhan Li  1 , Guoqi Zhu  2 , Guo Chen  1 , Mei Luo  1 , Xuebo Liu #  2 , Zhongpei Chen #  1 , Jun Qian #  3
Affiliations

Distribution of lipid levels and prevalence of hyperlipidemia: data from the NHANES 2007-2018

Zhenhan Li et al. Lipids Health Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Lipid-lowering therapy is important, and the distribution of lipid levels and the incidence of hyperlipidemia may vary in different subgroups of the population. We aimed to explore the distribution of lipid levels and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in subpopulations with subgroup factors, including age, sex, race, and smoking status.

Methods: Our study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018, ultimately enrolling and analyzing 15,499 participants. A cross-sectional analysis was performed to assess the distribution of lipids and prevalence of hyperlipidemia in subpopulations, and multifactorial logistic regression analyses were performed for the prevalence of hyperlipidemia, adjusted for age, sex, race and smoking status.

Results: Blacks had significantly lower mean serum total cholesterol and triglycerides and higher serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) than whites (P < 0.001). In contrast, Mexican Americans had markedly higher mean serum triglycerides and lower serum HDL-C than whites (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was lower in blacks than in whites (P = 0.003 and P < 0.001, respectively), while the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was significantly higher in Mexican Americans than in whites (P = 0.002). In addition, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in women aged 65 years or older and markedly higher than in men in the same age group (P < 0.001). In addition, overall mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (P = 0.01, P < 0.001, and P = 0.005, respectively).

Conclusion: Based on NHANES data, the mean lipid levels and prevalence of hyperlipidemia differed by sex, age, race, and smoking status.

Keywords: Age; Hyperlipidemia; Lipid levels; NHANES database; Race; Sex; Smoking status.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The actual percentage and number of participants with different mean lipid values based on gender and age
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The actual percentage and number of participants with different incidences of hyperlipidemia based on race and age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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