OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of dyslipidemia among children and adolescents assisted at public university hospital outpatient clinic METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the lipid profile of 1,937 outpatients of both genders, from two to 19 years old, assisted at the outpatient clinic of the Clinical Hospital of the State University of Campinas, Brazil, from 2000 to 2007. The cutoff values adopted were those recommended by Kwiterovich. Statistical analysis used the SPSS software. RESULTS: Altered values of cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were found in 44, 36 and 56% of the children (2-9 years old) and in 44, 36 and 50% of the adolescents (10-19 years old), respectively. Reduced HDL-cholesterol concentrations were present in 44% of the children and 49% of the adolescents. A combination of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was present in 34% of children and adolescents. Hypercholesterolemia combined with hypoalphalipoproteinemia was present in 15% of the children and 20% of the adolescents, and hypertriglyceridemia combined with hypoalphalipoproteinemia was present in 33% of the children and 30% of the adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of dyslipidemias in children and adolescents of the out-patient clinic of a public university hospital was high. There is a need to further study hospital and non-hospital communities in order to establish early diagnosis and treatment of dyslipidemias and to avoid associated cardiovascular diseases.
lipids; lipoproteins; dyslipidemia; children; adolescents
