Lipid Profiles and Prevalence of Dyslipidemia in Eastern Iranian Adolescents, Birjand, 2012

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular risk factors begin in childhood and adolescence. This study aimed at assessing serum lipids and prevalence of Dyslipidemia in 11-18 year old students of Birjand. METHODS The present cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was done on 2,643 middle and high school students of Birjand aged 11-18 years (1,396 girls and 1,247 boys). Blood samples were collected for the measurement of blood lipids, including Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HDL, and LDL after a 12-hour fasting period. The defined borderline and abnormal values stated in 2011 by the American Academy of Child, was used. RESULTS According to our results, it is concluded that: (i) 34.3% (31.3% girls and 37.6% boys) of adolescents had at least one dyslipidemia. (ii) 24.7% of the individuals had HDL lower than 40, where 14% of them TG≥130, 6.1% of cases TC≥200, and 3.5% of cases LDL≥130. Lipid disorder within low HDL type and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly higher in boys (P<0.05) than girls. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in the age group of 11-14 years and low HDL in the age group of 15-18 years showed the highest values (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Adolescents of Birjand have high prevalence of dyslipidemia. Preventive measures are recommended to improve lifestyle, including healthy nutrition, encouraging adolescents to exercise, and more mobility.