Profiles of levels of lipids and dyslipidaemia in children from Beijing, China

AbstractBackgroundThere is limited data available on characteristics of profiles of lipids in children. The purpose of our investigation, therefore, was to determine the lipid profile, and analyze the prevalence of dyslipidaemia, in subgroups of children according to different gender, districts of residence, and ages in Beijing, China.Methods and ResultsWe included 18,944 school children, aged from 7 to 18 years, in our community-based cross-sectional study, measuring the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride in capillary blood, and at the same time determining their weight and height. Weights, heights, circumference at the waist, and body mass index proved to be significantly greater for the boys than the girls. The levels of total cholesterol of boys and girls were 3.98 ± 0.35, and 4.02 ± 0.35 mmol/L, respectively, while the comparable levels of triglycerides were 1.08 ± 0.52, and 1.18 ± 0.66 mmol/L, respectively. The percentages of hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, combined dyslipidaemia, and hyperlipidaemia were 1.2, 8.8, 0.4, and 9.7%, respectively. The incidences of hypertriglyceridaemia, combined dyslipidaemia, and hyperlipidaemia of girls were higher than boys. The levels of triglycerides for boys aged from 11 to 18 years living in an urban setting were higher than those for boys living in rural settings, as were the levels of total cholesterol for boys aged from 12 to 16 years.ConclusionOur study provides the newest current profiles of lipids for children living in Beijing. We found significant influences of age, districts of residence, and genders on the levels of lipids, features which need further attention in the prevention and treatment of dyslipidaemia.