Background: . The pattern of dyslipidaemia in South Asia is believed to be different from that in other parts of the world. Nonetheless, limited population-based data are available from the region. We assessed the prevalence, types of, and factors associated with dyslipidaemia among South Asians.
Methods: . We used baseline data (2010-11) of the Center for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) cohort of 16 287 representative urban adults aged ≥20 years from Chennai and Delhi in India and Karachi in Pakistan. Total cholesterol (TC) was measured by the enzymatic-cholesterol oxidase peroxidase method, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) by the direct homogeneous method and triglycerides (TG) by enzymatic methods. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated using Friedewald's formula. We defined high TC ≥200 mg/dl or on medication; hypertriglyceridaemia ≥150 mg/dl, high LDL-C ≥130 mg/dl or on medication and low HDL-C <40 mg/dl for males, <50 mg/dl for females. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to assess the factors associated with dyslipidaemia.
Results: . The prevalence of any dyslipidaemia was 76.4%, 64.3% and 68.5% among males and 89.3%, 74.4% and 79.4% among females in Chennai, Delhi and Karachi, respectively. The prevalence of elevated TC was higher in Chennai compared to Delhi and Karachi (31.3%, 28.8% and 22.9%, respectively); males had a significantly greater prevalence of high TG, whereas females had a greater prevalence of low HDL-C in all the three cities. The most common lipid abnormality in all three cities was low HDL-C, which was seen in 67.1%, 49.7% and 61.3% in Chennai, Delhi and Karachi, respectively. Only 2% of the participants were on lipid-lowering drugs. Adjusted for other factors, dyslipidaemia was positively associated with age, female sex, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and tobacco use.
Discussion: . Overall, almost seven in ten adults in urban South Asia have some form of dyslipidaemia, and the predominant subtypes were low HDL-C and high TG.