Prevalence of high cholesterol varies 25-fold
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《英国医生杂志》
Men in parts of Europe are up to 25 times more likely to have high cholesterol levels as men in China.
New research shows wide variations in the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, from a low of 2% for men in Beijing to a high of 51% in Ticino, Switzerland. When the number of people taking lipid lowering drugs was added to the definition of what constituted the condition, the prevalence rates increased by an average of 1%.
Awareness and treatment also vary widely between countries, according to the research reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology (online publication ahead of print publication).
Although it has been known that rates of high cholesterol differ between populations, the absence of comparable data has made it difficult to make meaningful comparisons.
揢ntil now, there have been no large scale multinational comparisons of prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia,拻 say the authors, whose study is based on data from the WHO MONICA Project, which has multinational information collected by standardised methods over a 10 year period.
This study compared data from 32 populations, ages 35 to 64, in 19 countries and on three continents, looking at the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia, which was defined as a total cholesterol concentration of 6.5 mmol/l or more, or the use of lipid lowering drugs.
The overall prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia varied across populations from 3% (Roger: you have said earlier in the article that the lowest level was 2% in Beijing; why do you now say the lowest was 3%? Or is it 3% for the Chinese population as a whole, as opposed to the level for Beijing?) to 53% in men, and from 4% to 40% in women. Awareness of hypercholesterolaemia varied from 1% to 33% in men, and from 0% to 31% in women.
The prevalence in men was on average 27%, and lowest in Beijing and highest in Ticino. In all populations other than Beijing and Novosibirsk in Russia, the prevalence was above 10%. In 12 populations it was above 30%.
In women, the prevalence was on average 25%; it was lowest in Beijing (3%) and highest in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia (40%). In 10 populations it was above 30%.
On average, 30% of men had had their cholesterol measured in the past year, but the range was wide, from a low of 2% in Moscow to 57% in Bremen. The highest rates of measuring cholesterol were in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and the lowest were in Russia and Lithuania. Overall, 19% of men were aware of their hypercholesterolaemia, ranging from 1% in Kaunas, Lithuania, to 33% in Strasbourg and Bremen.
The authors say that the diverse treatments do not explain the different prevalence rates because adding patients using lipid lowering drugs increased the prevalence by only 1%. 揟here is wide variation in the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia between populations,?they say.
The report says there was a clear relation between screening frequency for cholesterol and awareness and treatment for hypercholesterolaemia.
揝ome believe that everyone should have their total cholesterol measured every five years. To fulfill this goal would require huge financial investment and is unrealistic,拻 says the report.
It adds, 揑ncreasing the frequency of cholesterol screenings will not in itself reduce the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, as our results indicate. In those populations with the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, the prevalence of cholesterol measurement during the past year was also amongst the highest.?(Abergavenny Roger Dobson)
New research shows wide variations in the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, from a low of 2% for men in Beijing to a high of 51% in Ticino, Switzerland. When the number of people taking lipid lowering drugs was added to the definition of what constituted the condition, the prevalence rates increased by an average of 1%.
Awareness and treatment also vary widely between countries, according to the research reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology (online publication ahead of print publication).
Although it has been known that rates of high cholesterol differ between populations, the absence of comparable data has made it difficult to make meaningful comparisons.
揢ntil now, there have been no large scale multinational comparisons of prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia,拻 say the authors, whose study is based on data from the WHO MONICA Project, which has multinational information collected by standardised methods over a 10 year period.
This study compared data from 32 populations, ages 35 to 64, in 19 countries and on three continents, looking at the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia, which was defined as a total cholesterol concentration of 6.5 mmol/l or more, or the use of lipid lowering drugs.
The overall prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia varied across populations from 3% (Roger: you have said earlier in the article that the lowest level was 2% in Beijing; why do you now say the lowest was 3%? Or is it 3% for the Chinese population as a whole, as opposed to the level for Beijing?) to 53% in men, and from 4% to 40% in women. Awareness of hypercholesterolaemia varied from 1% to 33% in men, and from 0% to 31% in women.
The prevalence in men was on average 27%, and lowest in Beijing and highest in Ticino. In all populations other than Beijing and Novosibirsk in Russia, the prevalence was above 10%. In 12 populations it was above 30%.
In women, the prevalence was on average 25%; it was lowest in Beijing (3%) and highest in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia (40%). In 10 populations it was above 30%.
On average, 30% of men had had their cholesterol measured in the past year, but the range was wide, from a low of 2% in Moscow to 57% in Bremen. The highest rates of measuring cholesterol were in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and the lowest were in Russia and Lithuania. Overall, 19% of men were aware of their hypercholesterolaemia, ranging from 1% in Kaunas, Lithuania, to 33% in Strasbourg and Bremen.
The authors say that the diverse treatments do not explain the different prevalence rates because adding patients using lipid lowering drugs increased the prevalence by only 1%. 揟here is wide variation in the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia between populations,?they say.
The report says there was a clear relation between screening frequency for cholesterol and awareness and treatment for hypercholesterolaemia.
揝ome believe that everyone should have their total cholesterol measured every five years. To fulfill this goal would require huge financial investment and is unrealistic,拻 says the report.
It adds, 揑ncreasing the frequency of cholesterol screenings will not in itself reduce the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, as our results indicate. In those populations with the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, the prevalence of cholesterol measurement during the past year was also amongst the highest.?(Abergavenny Roger Dobson)