Association between Dyslipidemia and the Prevalence of Colon Polyps Based on a Health Evaluation of Subjects at a Hospital

BACKGROUND: Colonic neoplasm is associated with western diet intake and physical inactivity. These life styles are also risk factors for dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between dyslipidemia and the prevalence of colon polyps including colon adenoma as a precancerous lesion of colonic neoplasms. METHODS: We selected subjects undergoing a colonoscopy for health screening at the Health Promotion Center of Eulji General Hospital from January 2006 to June 2010. Subjects with histories of cancers, dyslipidemia treatment, and other intestinal diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were excluded. The total numbers of subjects included in the study was 605. Chi-square test and t-test and were used for the analysis. Additionally we used multivariate logistic regression to adjust for sex, age, smoking, drinking, and other risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of colon polyps was 48.70% and 28.05% in males and females, respectively. When adjusting for variables that included age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, drinking, and exercise, dyslipidemia was not significantly associated with the prevalence of colon polyps. However upon analyzing adenomatous colon polyps in men, dyslipidemias due to triglycerides and high density lipoproteins were significant factors (odds ratio [OR], 2.13; confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 3.98; OR, 2.24; CI, 1.15 to 4.34, respectively). CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia was not a significant factor in the prevalence of colon polyps. However it had a significant association with the prevalence of adenomatous colon polyps in men.