Impact of Seasonality on the Prevalence of Dyslipidemia: A Large Population Study

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Assessment of lipid profile parameters has been considered a cornerstone in classifying individuals and populations at risk for cardiovascular disease. Recently, however, preliminary data have raised the possibility of seasonal variations in these parameters, which may cause under- or overestimation. Biological rhythms and seasonal variation of lipid profile was investigated in 227 359 consecutive individuals who underwent health checkups in primary care centers between 2008 and 2010. Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >130 mg/dL was 8% more prevalent during winter than summer, with a larger difference among women and middle-aged adults (p150 mg/dL were respectively 9% and 5% more prevalent during the summer (p<0.001). Variation amplitude was 3.4 +/- 0.3 mg/dL for HDL-C (p = 0.005), 7 +/- 2 mg/dL for LDL-C (p = 0.047), and 12 +/- 9 mg/dL for TG (p = 0.058). Based on a large population sample, this study confirms the existence of biological rhythms and seasonal variation in lipid profile. This finding must be particularly accounted for in cross-sectional analyses of relative risk, prevalence, or the rate of goal achievement for lipid parameters.30810111015Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq