High LDL-C more prevalent in winter; prevalence of low HDL-C and high triglycerides up in summer
THURSDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Considerable seasonal variation has been observed in lipid profiles, according to a study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from March 9 to 11 in San Francisco.
Filipe Azevedo Moura, M.D., from the State University of Campinas in Brazil, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the lipid profiles of 227,359 individuals who underwent health checkups in primary care centers in Campinas between 2008 and 2010. Seasonable variability in the prevalence of dyslipidemia was assessed.
The researchers found that the variation in the amplitude of lipid measures was 7 ± 2 mg/dL (P = 0.047) for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); 3.4 ± 0.3 mg/dL (P = 0.005) for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); and 12 ± 9 mg/dL (P = 0.058) for triglycerides (TG). During winter, plasma LDL-C higher than 130 mg/dL was 8 percent more prevalent than in summer, with a significant difference for women and middle-aged adults. In contrast, during the summer, HDL-C less than 40 mg/dL was 9 percent more prevalent and TG higher than 150 mg/d was 5 percent more prevalent.
"People should be aware that their cholesterol and triglyceride levels vary significantly year-round, which in some cases may lead to a misinterpretation of a person's actual cardiovascular risk," Moura said in a statement. "This should especially concern those who are near the upper cholesterol limit as they may be at higher risk than expected."
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