The Prevalence of Hyperlipidemia Among Older People, Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program

Background: Life expectancy continues to increase and Iran’s older population grows dramatically. Old age is the strongest risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Hence, effective lipid management can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Materials and Methods: Between March 2013 and October 2014, a total of 3000 men and women aged ≥ 60 years, residing in Bushehr, Iran who participated in Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program were evaluated for dyslipidemia. Serum lipid levels in fasting state were measured using Selectra 2 auto analyzer. The cut-offs of cardiovascular risks were derived from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines in the United States (Adult Treatment Panel [ATP] III).
Results: The prevalence rates for hypercholesterolemia (≥ 200 mg/dl), high LDL-cholesterol (≥ 130 mg/dl), low HDL-cholesterol (<40 mg/dl) and hypertriglyceridemia (≥ 150 mg/dl) were 48.0%, 42.4%, 29.6%, 35.5%, respectively. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 87.8% in women and 80.2% in men. The prevalence rate of dyslipidemia was decreased in men with increasing age (p=0.003), however no change was observed in women. A total of 835 subjects (27.8%) used hypolipidemic drugs. The statins were the most common used hypolipidemic drugs. There were significant association between dyslipidemia and traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: Dyslipidemia is a prevalent abnormality among Bushehr‘s older population. Therefore, interventional measures for lipid management are suggested for this population.

Keywords: Aging, dyslipidemia, cholesterol, triglyceride, elderly population