Determinants of Dyslipidemia in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundDyslipidemia is a common public health problem in Africa. It has emerged as an important cardiovascular risk factor. It has been steadily increasing due to economic growth, urbanization, and unhealthy dietary pattern. Therefore, it is essential to identify determinants of dyslipidemia to prevent the condition and reduce its long-term sequel.MethodsCombinations of search terms with Boolean operators were used to retrieve studies from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Database, Cinahl, Scopus, Mednar, and Google Scholar. The methodological quality of each article was evaluated based on the 2017 Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal checklist for prevalence studies. After evaluation of each study against these criteria, studies with a minimum score of 7 or above out of 9 JBI checklists were included. We included articles presented in the English language. The Cochrane Q test was used to assess the heterogeneity across studies. The visual assessment of publication bias was done by creating a funnel plot. The possible causes of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analyses. Egger's weighted regression test was used to assess the presence of publication bias. Statistical analyses were done by using the STATA software version 14.ResultA total of 24 articles involving 37,902 participants from 10 African countries were included. The overall pooled prevalence of dyslipidemia was 52.8 (95% CI 40.8–64.9). Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) >25.0 kg/m2 and waist circumference (WC) >94 cm were, respectively, 2.36 (95% CI (1.33–4.18), p < 0.001) and 2.33 (95% CI (0.75–0.29) p < 0.001) times more likely to develop dyslipidemia than those with lower values. Furthermore, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) were 2.32 (95% CI (0.89–6.05) p < 0.001) and 2.05 (95% CI (1.31–3.21), p < 0.001) times more likely to present with dyslipidemia than non-diabetic patients and those without HTN.ConclusionThis study revealed that the prevalence of dyslipidemia is relatively high among study participants in African countries and the independent predictors of dyslipidemia were BMI >25.0 kg/m2, WC > 94 cm, raised blood glucose level, and raised blood pressure. Therefore, there should be a pressing public health measure to prevent, identify, and treat dyslipidemia with the special emphasis on obese, diabetic, and hypertensive patients.

An Assessment of Predisposing Factors of Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in an Urban Pediatric Population in Cameroon

“…This is similar to findings from Ghana in which the prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher among children who are BMI-overweight/obese [8]. This is also confirmed in a recent review in which BMI-obesity and central obesity increased the odds of dyslipidemia by 2.36 and 2.33 respectively [2]. In addition, there is evidence that excess body fatness explained 21% of changes in TC and that obesity assessed using different measures (BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and %BF) was significantly associated with elevated levels of TC, TG and lower levels of HDL-C [9].…”

“…Dyslipidemia is common in African countries and the number of children and adolescents affected is increasing. This is due to the nutrition transition, which is characterized by economic changes as well as changes in lifestyle and eating habits [2]. A recent report indicated that the pooled prevalence of dyslipidemia within Africa was 60.8%, 53.1%, 46.7% and 21.0% in East, South, West and Central Africa respectively [2].…”

“…This is due to the nutrition transition, which is characterized by economic changes as well as changes in lifestyle and eating habits [2]. A recent report indicated that the pooled prevalence of dyslipidemia within Africa was 60.8%, 53.1%, 46.7% and 21.0% in East, South, West and Central Africa respectively [2]. In Cameroon, data on dyslipidemia in children is scarce.…”

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia and associated factors among adults in Jordan: Results of a national cross-sectional survey in 2019

“…In this study, overweight and obesity, having diabetes, and low physical activity were significantly associated with the increased risk of dyslipidaemia. As all are modifiable risk factors, it is crucial to administer interventions in health behavior on the identified risk factors ( Obsa et al, 2022 ). In addition to physical activity, dietary interventions are crucial by substituting unprocessed meat for plant proteins, low saturated fat, and animal proteins ( Zhubi-Bakija et al, 2021 ).…”

The Effect of Psychological Burden on Dyslipidemia Moderated by Greenness: A Nationwide Study from China

“…Although many factors that cause dyslipidemia have been identified (e.g., obesity, nutrition, lack of physical activity, attraction, alcoholism, etc.) [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], the exact causes of dyslipidemia remain unclear [ 11 ]. There are two instances of mainstream literature that investigate the causes of dyslipidemia: contextual factors and individual factors.…”