Background: The objective of this study was to compare current prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) between a cohort of patients affected by the toxic oil syndrome (TOS) epidemic, which occurred in Spain in 1981, and the unaffected Spanish population.
Methods: This was a case-referent study covering 1276 TOS cases and a referent population of 2843 (aged 35-65 years) using data collected from 1996 to 2003. Study variables were high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, dyslipemia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Smoking habit, alcohol intake, family and personal history of ischemic heart disease, as well as a personal history of cerebrovascular disease were also assessed in TOS patients.
Results: Compared to the general population, TOS patients registered a threefold rise in prevalence of diabetes, a 2.57-fold increase in hypertension, a 1.38-fold increase in total hypercholesterolemia, a 1.20-fold increase in hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, and a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (35% versus 25%). Nevertheless, the prevalence of hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia was significantly lower in those affected by TOS. No differences were found for other CRFs.
Conclusion: Compared to the general population, cases display a much higher prevalence of all major CRFs. However, an increase in HDL-cholesterol protective factor is in evidence for the first time.