Prevalence of hyperlipidemia among Saudi school children in Riyadh

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) constitutes one of the main health problems in Saudi Arabia, but little is known on the lipid profile of the juvenile population. METHODS: We measured the prevalence of high-risk levels of serum lipids in 1390 boys and girls, aged 9 or 12 years, in Riyadh city. RESULTS: High-risk levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein (TC/HDL) cholesterol ratio were found in 32.7%, 33.1%, 34.1% and 22.0% of the students. The prevalence of high-risk levels of TG increased with age among boys and girls, while the prevalence of high-risk LDL decreased with age in girls. Mean levels of TC, LDL and the TC/HDL ratio were higher among girls than boys in the 9-year-old age group. Mean levels of TG and the TC/HDL ratio were higher among girls than boys in the 12-year-old age group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high-risk levels of serum lipids ranged from 32.7% to 34.1%. We emphasize the need to assess the prevalence of other CHD risk factors among our students and design a suitable control program.