Self-Reported High-Cholesterol Prevalence in the Brazilian Population: Analysis of the 2013 National Health Survey

Abstract

BackgroundData on the prevalence of dyslipidemia in Brazil are scarce, with surveys available only for some towns.ObjectiveTo evaluate the prevalence of the self-reported medical diagnosis of high cholesterol in the Brazilian adult population by use of the 2013 National Health Survey data.MethodsDescriptive study assessing the 2013 National Health Survey data, a household-based epidemiological survey with a nationally representative sample and self-reported information. The sample consisted of 60,202 individuals who reported a medical diagnosis of dyslipidemia. The point prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol/triglyceride by gender, age, race/ethnicity, geographic region and educational level were calculated. Adjusted odds ratio was calculated.ResultsOf the 60,202 participants, 14.3% (95%CI=13.7-14.8) never had their cholesterol or triglyceride levels tested, but a higher frequency of women, white individuals, elderly and those with higher educational level had their cholesterol levels tested within the last year. The prevalence of the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol was 12.5% (9.7% in men and 15.1% in women), and women had 60% higher probability of a diagnosis of high cholesterol than men. The frequency of the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol increased up to the age of 59 years, being higher in white individuals or those of Asian heritage, in those with higher educational level and in residents of the Southern and Southeastern regions.ConclusionThe importance of dyslipidemia awareness in the present Brazilian epidemiological context must be emphasized to guide actions to control and prevent coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in Brazil and worldwide.

Prevalência de colesterol total e frações alterados na população adulta brasileira: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde

“…The biochemical data of the PNS differ from the self-reported data found in the Survey of Risk Factors and Protection for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico -Vigitel), which identified 22.6% of the adult population in Brazilian capital cities with high cholesterol 19 . In the PNS, using the self-reported questionnaire, the prevalence of high cholesterol was even lower (12.5%) 11 . In addition, the PNS also measured the population who said they had never measured their cholesterol or TG (14.3%) 11 .…”

“…In addition, the PNS also measured the population who said they had never measured their cholesterol or TG (14.3%) 11 . Therefore, the biochemical data described here identified higher prevalences, about one third of the population, which may partly reflect the lack of access to the tests 11 .…”

“…Despite the established evidence in the scientific literature regarding the association between cholesterol and coronary artery disease, population surveys that monitor the prevalence of cholesterol in Brazil are still scarce and mostly use self-reported data 10,11 . The results of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto -ELSA Brazil), conducted among employees of federal universities around the country, showed a higher prevalence of altered LDL in men, black people, the elderly and people with low levels of education 12 .…”

Validade da autorreferência de colesterol elevado na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, e fatores associados à sensibilidade dessa informação

“…Por outro lado, a restrição do profissional médico pode aumentar a acurácia da estimativa, impossibilitando que indivíduos não profissionais da área de saúde façam o diagnóstico. Ressalta-se que pesquisas nacionais de base populacional, como o VIGITEL e a PNS, também utilizam o diagnóstico médico para coletar informações sobre morbidade referida 7,8 .…”

“…De acordo com a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), em 2008, a prevalência global de colesterol elevado era 39%, e a Europa possuía a maior prevalência (54%), seguida das Américas (48%) 6 . No Brasil, de acordo com dados autorrelatados, foi registrado que 12,5% dos indivíduos avaliados na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) de 2013 tinham colesterol elevado 7 . Já os dados do estudo Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL) apontam que 22,6% dos indivíduos relatam ter colesterol total ou triacilgliceróis elevados no conjunto das 27 cidades estudadas, sendo essa prevalência estimada em 21,8% para a cidade de São Paulo 8 .…”