The use of a hospital laboratory cohort to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia in an adult Brazilian population.

Background: Dyslipidemia is diagnosed through the determination of plasma lipid profiles. This study is aimed at establishing the prevalence of dyslipidemia in a Brazilian out-patient population by using a hospital laboratory cohort.

Methods: Lipid profiles of 22,542 individuals from both sexes, aged 20 to 124 years, and registered at the University Hospital of the State University of Campinas, a standard of reference for hospital treatment in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, were retrospectively analyzed from 2000 to 2003. The cut-off values for cholesterol (C), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined as recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program. Statistical analyses were carried out using the SPSS program.

Results: Altered C, LDL-C and TG were found in 44%, 38% and 37% of adults and in 55%, 48% and 41% of the elderly, respectively; 35% of adults and 32% of the elderly presented undesirable low HDL-C. Combined dyslipidemia was very prevalent.

Conclusion: Dyslipidemia was a serious public health problem in the studied population, especially among women and the elderly. The mixed phenotype of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was the most prevalent. The results of this study were validated by their agreement with previously studied non-hospital Brazilian populations.