TUESDAY, March 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Dyslipidemia is associated with subclinical and clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young American Indians, according to a study published online March 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Jessica A. Reese, Ph.D., from the Center for American Indian Health Research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and colleagues conducted a family-based, prospective cohort study of CVD in an American Indian population (Strong Heart Family Study [SHFS]). A total of 1,440 SHFS participants, aged 15 to 39 years at baseline examination in 2001 to 2003, were enrolled. Lipids were measured after fasting for 12 hours. Plaque was detected at baseline and follow-up in 2006 to 2009, and incident CVD events were identified through 2020.

The researchers found that the prevalence of dyslipidemia at baseline was 55.2, 73.6, and 78.0 percent for participants aged 15 to 19, 20 to 29, and 30 to 39 years, respectively. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥160 mg/dL was seen in approximately 2.8 percent; this was higher than the recommended threshold for lifestyle or medical intervention in those aged 20 to 39 years. During follow-up, 9.9, 11.0, and 9.0 percent of participants had incident plaque, plaque progression, and incident CVD, respectively. Participants with total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥160 mg/dL, or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL had higher plaque incidence and progression, after controlling for covariates. There was an independent association seen for CVD risk with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥160 mg/dL.

“American Indian adolescents and young adults and other young populations with high burden of cardiometabolic disorders are likely to benefit significantly from lipid screening and cholesterol health education, lifestyle modification, and medical interventions at an early age,” the authors write.

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