Cardiovascular risk factors and HDL-cholesterol levels in obesity

Abstract

In 1332 patients with different degrees of obesity (344 men, mean age 36 +/- 13 years, Broca Index 1.46 +/- 0.23; 988 women, mean age 37 +/- 13 years, Broca Index 1.67 +/- 0.30), cardiovascular risk factors (RF), serum HDL-cholesterol, and insulin levels were investigated. The most frequent RF was diastolic hypertension (68 per cent), followed by systolic hypertension (56 per cent), glucose intolerance (55 per cent), hypertriglyceridemia (31 per cent), hyperuricemia (19 per cent) and hypercholesterolemia (18 per cent). Only 9.4 per cent of the patients were without RF, and these patients were younger and less obese than patients with RF. Compared with controls, HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased in obese patients, however, the negative linear correlation between relative body weight and HDL-cholesterol levels was only significant in women, not in men. HDL-cholesterol levels were higher in women than in men. Serum insulin levels were correlated positively with relative body weight and negatively with age. Partial correlation analysis revealed a stronger influence of age than body weight on blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose levels. Uric acid levels correlated positively, and HDL-cholesterol levels negatively with relative body weight alone and not with age. On the basis of prevalence of RF, low serum HDL-cholesterol and high insulin levels, obese patients must be considered at high risk with respect to the development of cardiovascular disease.