Prevalence of dyslipidemia in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Background: A high fat calorie diet is advocated for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) however the lipid profiles of individuals with CF, including those with CF-related diabetes (CFRD), are not well studied.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of adult CF patients attending St Michael's Hospital between January 2005 and December 2007.

Results: 334 patients (77% pancreatic insufficient (PI)) were included in the study. Mean HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in males (p<0.0001) with 44% of males having HDL cholesterol <38.7mg/dL(1mmol/L). Pancreatic sufficient patients were more likely than PI subjects to have total cholesterol >201mg/dL(5.2mmol/L) (p<0.01). 5% of subjects had triglyceride concentrations >195mg/dL(2.2mmol/L). Diabetes was diagnosed in 23% of subjects. Lipid profiles were similar between diabetics and non-diabetics. Total cholesterol and triglycerides both increased with increasing age and increasing BMI (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Dyslipidemia occurs in CF patients however no differences in lipid profiles were seen between those with diabetes and those without. Fasting lipids should be monitored in CF patients, particularly those with PS, older age, and high BMI. As survival in CF increases, the prevalence of dyslipidemia may increase resulting in clinically important complications.