The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the peculiarities of the Mexican population regarding the clinical expression, genetics, and treatment of lipid disorders. Furthermore, it is a call for action to address the existing gaps in care and research of dyslipidemias. The Mexican Mestizos are highly susceptible to metabolic disorders (i.e., low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, hypertriglyceridemia, abdominal obesity, and type 2 diabetes); these conditions are associated with ethnic-specific genetic variants. On the other hand, despite the high prevalence of dyslipidemia in Mexican adults, there is a lack of awareness of these conditions. The public is not informed about the need for screening and the potential benefit of the lipid-lowering treatments. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment are two of the main challenges to be solved. Dyslipidemias are not among the priorities of the health systems for the prevention of cardiovascular disease; access to laboratory resources and medications is insufficient in primary care units despite the proven cost-benefit of the treatment of lipid disorders. Evidence-based public policies are needed to change the practice and allocation of assets to be capable of preventing cardiovascular diseases. Treatment of dyslipidemia should have a prominent role in any effort to decrease the number of preventable deaths caused by non-communicable diseases.
Keywords: Cholesterol; Dyslipidemia; High-density lipoprotein; Low-density lipoprotein; Mexico; Triglycerides.
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