The relation of rapid changes in obesity measures to lipid profile - insights from a nationwide metabolic health survey in 444 Polish cities

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 31;9(1):e86837. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086837. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Objective: The impact of fast changes in obesity indices on other measures of metabolic health is poorly defined in the general population. Using the Polish accession to the European Union as a model of political and social transformation we examined how an expected rapid increase in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference relates to changes in lipid profile, both at the population and personal level.

Methods: Through primary care centres in 444 Polish cities, two cross-sectional nationwide population-based surveys (LIPIDOGRAM 2004 and LIPIDOGRAM 2006) examined 15,404 and 15,453 adult individuals in 2004 and 2006, respectively. A separate prospective sample of 1,840 individuals recruited in 2004 had a follow-up in 2006 (LIPIDOGRAM PLUS).

Results: Two years after Polish accession to European Union, mean population BMI and waist circumference increased by 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively. This tracked with a 7.6% drop in HDL-cholesterol and a 2.1% increase in triglycerides (all p<0.001) nationwide. The direction and magnitude of the population changes were replicated at the personal level in LIPIDOGRAM PLUS (0.7%, 0.3%, 8.6% and 1.8%, respectively). However, increases in BMI and waist circumference were both only weakly associated with HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides changes prospectively. The relation of BMI to the magnitude of change in both lipid fractions was comparable to that of waist circumference.

Conclusions: Moderate changes in obesity measures tracked with a significant deterioration in measures of pro-atherogenic dyslipidaemia at both personal and population level. These associations were predominantly driven by factors not measureable directly through either BMI or waist circumference.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Body Mass Index
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / blood
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Cities
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • European Union
  • Fasting / blood
  • Female
  • Health Surveys / methods
  • Health Surveys / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Lipid Metabolism*
  • Lipids / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / blood*
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Poland
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Triglycerides / blood
  • Waist Circumference

Substances

  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Lipids
  • Triglycerides
  • Cholesterol

Grants and funding

LIPIDOGRAM project was supported by a research grant from Schwarz Pharma, Silesian Analytical Laboratories (the executive medical faculty of the study) and the The College of Family Physicians in Poland. BK’s research fellowship in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, was supported by the Cardiogenics project of the European Union (LSHM-CT-2006-037593). The funding bodies had no role in study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing the report, or submitting the paper for publication.