Prevalence of dyslipidemias in adult ambulatory laboratory tests from different health care providers

OBJECTIVE: To detect differences in the prevalence of dyslipidemia in adult ambulatory laboratory tests from three different health care providers, in Salvador-Brazil, 1995. METHODS: The study was carried out using a probabilistic sample of 24 out of 104 laboratories (@25%) which performed the same enzymatic method for lipid tests with the same quality control. Laboratory tests results were separated into three groups, according to health care provider: Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS, governamental), Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), and Private or Patients Health Insurance (PHI). Criteria for dyslipidemias in mg/dL were: total cholesterol > or = 240; LDL-c > or = 160; HDL-c or = 200. Prevalence rates, 95% confidence intervals (CI) and chi² test were used in the analysis. RESULTS: From the 5464 adult subjects, 14.8% were from SUS, 31.6%. from HMO and 53.6% PHI. The highest prevalence for hypercholesterolemia – 28.0% (CI 24.0; 32.0) and for LDL-c > or = 160mg/dL – 30.4% (CI 27.6; 33.2), were found in the HMO group. PHI had the highest prevalence for HDL-c <35mg/dL – 12.3% (CI 10.0; 13.8), and for hypertrygliceridemia – 17.8% (CI 16.3; 19.3). Most of the differences among health providers were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The best lypid profile observed in subjects from SUS suggests social differences in the prevalence of dyslipidemias. As compared to other dyslipidemias, HDL-c <35mg/dL prevalence was lower than expected in all three groups. The data may provide insights to medical doctors and other health care professionals regarding the questions of dyslipidemias. It can also provide objective information to the patients and encourage them to change their life styles.