Hyperlipidaemia and its risk factors in the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations

Objective: To compare the differences in hyperlipidaemia prevalence and its risk factors between the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations. Design: Cross-sectional study of hyperlipidaemia. Setting: Both populations were from Lihu and Baxu villages in Nandan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Subjects: A total of 1170 healthy subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 1173 participants of Han Chinese aged 15―89 years were surveyed by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Information on demographic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, serum lipids and apolipoproteins were measured, and BMI (kg/m 2 ) was calculated as weight divided by the square of height. Results: The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriacylglycerolaemia and hyperlipidaemia in Bai Ku Yao and Han were 12·4% v. 26·2% (P 0·05) and 24·4% v. 33·9% (P<0·001), respectively. Hyperlipidaemia was positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, total energy and total fat intakes, and negatively associated with physical activity and total dietary fibre intake in Bai Ku Yao (P< 0·05 to 0·001). Hyperlipidaemia was positively associated with age, alcohol consumption, BMI, waist circumference, total energy and total fat intakes, and inversely correlated with physical activity and total dietary fibre intake in Han (P< 0·05 to 0·001). Conclusions: The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and hyperlipidaemia was significantly lower in the Bai Ku Yao than in the Han population, which might result from different dietary habits, lifestyle choices and physical activity level, as well as genetic factors between the two ethnic groups.