Exploring Lipid Levels as Indicators of Cardiovascular Risks in a University’s Executive staff: A Case Study at Rivers State University, Nigeria

Introduction: Executive staff are the senior administrative and academic officers responsible for overall management of the university. These group of officers are at risk of developing abnormal lipid profile, which is a major risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), due to occupationally related stress and sedentary lifestyles. This study was designed to explore the status of lipid parameters of executive staff in Rivers State University. Materials and Methods: A total of two hundred executive staff, ranging from administrative to senior academics enrolled for this study and blood samples were obtained from all participants who indicated interest to participate in the study and also qualified in the inclusion criteria. Serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL Cholesterol) was analyzed spectrophotometrically with kits obtained from Spectrum Diagnostics employing manufacturer’s instructions, while Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) was calculated using the Friedewald’s equation. BMI w determined by calculation from height and weight of participants, while the blood pressures were determined using automatic blood pressure kit. The results were analyzed with SPSS version 24. Mean values were considered statistically significant when p<0.05. Results: The mean value of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol levels were 4.37±1.04mmol/L 0.78±0.55mmol/L, 1.65±0.44mmol/L and 2.47±1.15mmol/L respectively for male and 4.56±0.79mmol/l, 0.72±0.79mmol/l, 1.65±0.55mmol/l and 2.50±0.90mmol/l respectively for women. There were no significant differences when males were compared with females. However, when the participants were grouped into age bracket, the middle aged and the older participants had significant elevation in total cholesterol (p=0.04), triglyceride (p=0.003) and LDL (p=0.04). Furthermore, when the BMI of the participants were grouped into normal weight, overweight and obese, the triglyceride was significantly elevated in the overweight and the obese participants (P=0.03). The total cholesterol (P=0.007) and the triglyceride (P=0.001) were significantly elevated in participants with high blood pressure. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the incidence of dyslipidemia in the executive staff of Rivers State University. Based on these findings, we advocate for life style modifications such as regular exercise, healthy dieting and regular medical checks among the study population in order to prevent and manage unhealthy lipid profile levels.