Epidemiology

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Évaluation du risque cardiovasculaire en première lignePublished by: Domus MedicaLast published: 2010Cardiovasculaire risicobepaling in de eerste lijnPublished by: Domus MedicaLast published: 2020

The prevalence of the disorder varies depending on the definition of dyslipidaemia and the population studied. Approximately 24.7 million adults or 10% of the adult population in the US have total cholesterol levels ≥6.2 mmol/L (≥240 mg/dL).[3]​​ One study evaluating how lipid concentrations changed among US adults from 2007 to 2018 found improvement with mean age-adjusted total cholesterol concentrations declining from 5.1 mmol/L (197 mg/dL) to 4.9 mmol/L (189 mg/dL) across all racial and ethnic sub-groups, with the exception of non-Hispanic Asian adults.[4]​ In patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), the prevalence of dyslipidaemia is as high as 80% to 88%, compared with approximately 40% to 48% in age-matched controls without coronary disease.[5] The INTERHEART study on risk factors associated with myocardial infarction found that hyperlipidaemia (defined as elevated levels of apoB/apoA1 ratio) had a population attributable risk of 49%.[6] 

There is a strong correlation between body mass index and incidence of hypercholesterolaemia.[7] 

A worrisome development is the increase in the rate of risk factors for CHD (including hypercholesterolaemia) in low-income countries, while risk factors for CHD have decreased in prevalence in high-income countries.[8][9]​​ While previously there had been a steady decline in mortality from heart disease in the US since the early 1960s, such declines slowed and in fact reversed from 2010 onwards. This highlights the tremendous importance of the ongoing management and evaluation of cardiovascular disease.[10][11]​​​ One study evaluating the prevalence of statin use for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the US found that black and Hispanic participants had significantly lower statin use than white participants.[12]​ 

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