Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the elderly and very elderly members of the Polish population: results of a national cross‑sectional representative survey.

Abstract

Introduction: Lipid disorders are the most common cardiovascular risk factor among the adult population in Poland. However, epidemiological data on the ever‑growing group of older adults remain insufficient.

Objectives: Our aim was to describe and analyze the epidemiology of lipid disorders among Polish seniors.

Patients and methods: A random sample of 4101 participants (2136 men; 1965 women) aged 65 to 104 years, evenly distributed across age subgroups (65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, and ≥90 years), was included in the cross‑sectional, national PolSenior survey. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure values, and blood samples for lipid profile testing were obtained.

Results: Hypercholesterolemia was present in 62.4% of Polish seniors (56.1% of men; 66.3% of women). The highest mean (95% CI) total cholesterol (TC) levels were observed in those aged 65-69 years: 206 (201-210.9) mg/dl in men and 220.6 (215.6-225.6) mg/dl in women. Women had higher TC levels than men across all age groups. Mean (95% CI) low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) levels followed a similar trend: in women, they decreased from 131.6 (127.2-136.1) mg/dl in the age group of 65-69 years to 120.1 (115.2-125) mg/dl in those aged 90 years or above. In men, LDL-C values declined from 121.6 (117.3-125.9) mg/dl to 106.5 (102.5-110.5) mg/dl over the same age span. LDL‑C concentrations were higher in women across all age categories.

Conclusions: In the elderly Polish population, mean serum TC and LDL‑C concentrations are consistently higher in women than in men. The findings emphasize the significance of lipid disorders as a cardiovascular risk factor in older adults in Poland.