Prevalence and Characteristics of Dyslipidemia in a Hospital in Madagascar

Introduction Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and is included in the metabolic syndrome. Data on dyslipidemia are still lacking in some parts of Africa. Our objectives were to report the prevalence of dyslipidemia and to describe the lipid profile of patients in a hospital in Madagascar. Materials and methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of patients admitted to the medical departments of Mahavoky Atsimo Hospital in Mahajanga, Madagascar, and followed for a period of 15 months. To be eligible, patients had to be over 18 years of age, have a lipid panel including total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, and agree to participate in the study. Results Of the 384 patients included in the study, 262 patients (68.23%) had dyslipidemia. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 61.45% (n = 102) in men and 73.39% (n = 160) in women. In patients older than 65 years, the prevalence was 70.64% (n = 77). The different types of dyslipidemia were distributed as follows: hypercholesterolemia (24.22%, n = 93), hypo-HDL cholesterolemia (22.4%, n = 86), mixed hyperlipidemia (7.81%, n = 30), hyper-LDL cholesterolemia (7.29%, n = 28), and hypertriglyceridemia (6.51%, n = 25). Female gender (p = 0.013), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.007), and morbid obesity (p = 0.036) were associated with dyslipidemia. Conclusion The prevalence of dyslipidemia was high. Pure hypercholesterolemia and hypo-HDL-c were the most common types. Female gender, diabetes mellitus, and morbid obesity were associated with dyslipidemia. Prevention and treatment programs are essential to reduce the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the risk of cardiovascular events in low-income countries.