Prevalence of high HDL-Cholesterol and its Associated Factors Among Childbearing Age Tunisian women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The protective role of high HDL-C against cardiovascular risk has been questioned recently. Due to the increasing trend of CVD in Tunisia, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of high HDL-C and its associated factors in childbearing age Tunisian women. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a subsample of 1689 women, aged 20 to 49 y in the Great Tunis region. Data on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors were collected by a questionnaire. Overall adiposity was assessed by BMI. All biological variables were assayed in blood samples coated with EDTA by enzymatic methods. Stata software (2015) was used for data management and statistical analysis. Results: High HDL-C values were recorded in 26.6% of selected women. After adjustment for all socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, age, hypertension and smoking were negatively associated with high HDL-C levels while family history of cancer was positively associated with high HDL-C in women. Conclusions: Additional investigation on the relationship between high HDL-C and cancer risk should be performed due to controversial results.

Do People Screen for Non-Communicable Diseases? A Cross-Sectional Survey in a Peri-Urban Community in Ghana

“…The global burden of disease risk assessment shows that high cholesterol was the 8 th leading risk factor for all-cause mortality in 2017 [3]. The prevalence of high cholesterol has been recorded in other countries: 12% in the United States of America [19], 26.6% in Tunisia [20], and 44% in Saudi Arabia [21]. In Ghana, a prevalence of 11.6% and 12.8% have been recorded in rural and urban areas respectively [22].…”