Effect of COVID-19 on lipid profile parameters and its correlation with acute phase reactants: A single-center retrospective analysis

Talal Almas; Jahanzeb Malik; Abdulla K Alsubai; Maryam Ehtesham; Talha Laique; Uzma Ishaq; Asad Mehmood; Syed Muhammad Jawad Zaidi; Sebastian Hadeed; Helen Huang; Mert Oruk

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103856

Effect of COVID-19 on lipid profile parameters and its correlation with acute phase reactants: A single-center retrospective analysis

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Jun:78:103856. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103856. Epub 2022 May 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
² Department of Cardiology, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
³ Department of Pharmacology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Hematology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Abstract

Background and objective: The development and correlation of dyslipidemia is unknown in COVID-19. This investigation was performed to assess the pathological alterations in lipid profile and their association in COVID-19.

Methods: This was a retrospective study performed on real-world patients to assess serum levels of LDL-C, HDL, TG, TC on COVID-19 patients (mild: 319; moderate: 391; critical: 357). Age- and gender-matched controls who had their lipid profiles in the same period were included as the control group.

Results: LDL-C, HDL, TG, and TC levels were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients when compared with the control group (P < 0.001, 0.047, 0.045, <0.001, respectively). All parameters decreased gradually with COVID-19 disease severity (LDL-C: median (IQR), mild: 98 (91,134); moderate: 97 (81,113); critical: 68 (68,83); HDL: mild: 45 (37,50); moderate: 46 (41,50); critical: 40 (37,46); TG: mild: 186 (150,245); moderate: 156 (109,198); critical: 111 (98,154); TC: mild: 224 (212,238); moderate: 212 (203,213); critical: 154 (125,187)). Logistic regression demonstrated lipid profile as predictor of severity of COVID-19 disease.

Conclusion: Hypolipidemia develops in increasing frequency with severe COVID-19 disease. It inversely correlates with levels of acute-phase reactants, indicating SARS-COV-2 as the causative agent for alteration in lipid and thyroid levels.

Keywords: COVID-19; HDL; Hypolipidemia; LDL-C; Total cholesterol.