| Sub-title | |
| Authors | J Farrugia E Farrugia |
| Abstract | Aim: To determine the prevalence of dyslipidaemia in the Maltese dialysis population and correlate this with variables known to influence such prevalence. Method: 60 haemodialysis and 53 peritoneal dialysis patients undergoing dialysis during the first week of December 2002 had their fasting lipid profile checked during the same week. This was analyzed according to dialysis modality and diabetic status and correlated with time since commencement of dialysis, serum albumin and serum triglyceride levels. Results: Patient age (57 and 60yrs) and time on dialysis (30.7 and 28.6mths) were similar for the HD and PD groups respectively. The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol > 5.0 and/or LDL > 3.0mm/l) and hypertriglyceridaemia (> 2.3mmol/l) was 68 % and 37% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglyceride or albumin levels according to dialysis modality. Similarly, there was no difference between the same variables in diabetics and non-diabetics. The correlation coefficient between serum albumin and duration of dialysis was not significant but there was a positive correlation between serum albumin and total cholesterol. Conclusion: The prevalence of dyslipidaemia is very high and uninfluenced by dialysis modality or diabetic status. The positive correlation between albumin and cholesterol reinforces the formers position as a surrogate marker of the dialysis patients nutritional status. Since the nutritional status is the best marker of survival on dialysis it also explains why an elevated cholesterol level has been universally shown to be an indicator of improved survival on dialysis. |
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| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 15 Issue 1-2/suppl. 2003 |
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| Key words | dialysis, prevalence, dyslipidaemia |