Purpose: To analyze: a) the cholesterol profile in adults older than 29 years, from São José do Rio Preto (300,000 inhabitants), city located in one of the country's richest regions; b) the variables that correlated with cholesterolemia.
Methods: An specialized firm was hired, and data was obtained through quantitative research, where a survey was done, using a sample stratified by sex and age; the error limits admitted was +/- 4%, for a 95% confidence interval, and Reflotron was utilized for cholesterol measurements. It was studied 672 persons (47% men), with mean age of 47.15 +/- 12.28 years; 35% were between 30 and 39 years, 25% between 40 and 49.22% between 50 and 59, and 18% were 60 or more years old. Thirteen variables were compared with cholesterolemia through simple regression; following, six of them, selected as predictors by stepwise regression, were compared with cholesterol through multiple regression analysis.
Results: a) Cholesterol levels: 192.5 +/- 48.9 mg/dl on global average, with 187.6 +/- 53.3 for men and 196.8 +/- 44.2 for women (p = 0.01, 95% CI 2.3 to 17.1); 176.5 +/- 44.7 mg/dl for people > or = 30 < 40 years old, 191.3 +/- 51.7 for those > or = 40 < 50 years (p = 0.002, 95% CI 4.6 to 24.2), 206.8 +/- 44.4 for those > or = 50 < 60 years (p = 0.005, 95% CI 4.6 to 26.4), and 208.5 +/- 47.8 for those > or = 60 years (p = 0.765,95% CI 9.5 to -12.5); 62% of the population showed < or = 200 mg/dl, and 16% > or = 240; b) through simple regression analysis, significant correlations were found between cholesterolemia and: age (p < 0.001), systolic (p < 0.001) and diastolic (p < 0.001) arterial pressures, diet (any, the great majority hypocaloric, p = 0.001), height (inverse correlation, p = 0.003), and female gender (p = 0.011); under multiple regression analysis, significant correlations were found for age (p < 0.001), educational level (p < 0.001), systolic arterial pressure (p < 0.001), weight (p = 0.004) and height (inverse correlation, p = 0.012).
Conclusion: In the population older than 29 years, from São José do Rio Preto: a) the mean cholesterolemia is 192.5 +/- 48.9 mg/dl, being significantly higher for women, in relation to men, and showing significant increases between 3rd, 4th and 5th decades of life; b) correlated significantly with cholesterolemia, through simple regression analysis: age, systolic and diastolic arterial pressures, diet, height (inverse), and female gender; under multiple regression analysis: age, educational level, systolic arterial pressure, weight and height (inverse).