Dyslipidemia in outpatients at General Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana: cross-sectional study.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia among hospital patients in Kumasi, Ghana, whose diet consists mostly of carbohydrates and little proteins, and assess the effect of age, sex, and the presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on serum cholesterol concentration.

Methods: The hospital-based study included 248 patients (145 women and 103 men) selected by strict random sampling from patients visiting Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital between May 1, 1999, and April 30, 2000. The patients were divided into four groups: patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, both conditions, and without either disease. We measured lipid concentration in the serum of patients and assessed its correlation with age, sex, body mass index, and the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

Results: Almost half of the patients (45%) had serum total cholesterol concentration >5.17 mmol/L and 26% had also serum triglyceride concentration >1.69 mmol/L. High-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol dyslipidemia (HDL< 1.03 mmol/L) was found in 30.5% of the patients, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol dyslipidemia (LDL>2.58 mmol/L) in 72%. Serum total cholesterol concentration was significantly high in the patients with hypertension alone (p=0.01). LDL-cholesterol and serum triglyceride concentrations appeared higher in those who had both hypertension and diabetes, but this was not statistically significant. Serum HDL-cholesterol was higher in the group with diabetes alone but also failed to achieve statistical significance.

Conclusion: Dyslipidemia is common in patients visiting hospital in Kumasi, although the regular diet is based on carbohydrates and poor in fat. Steps are needed to curb lipid-related disorders.