Association Between Xanthelasma Palpebrarum with Cardiovascular Risk and Dyslipidemia

Purpose

To determine whether xanthelasma palpebrarum (XP) is associated with dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and other systemic conditions in a large population.

Design

Case-control study conducted at a single tertiary care center.

Participants

Individuals who were examined at a medical screening institute from 2001 through 2020.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed to extract data on ophthalmic evaluations, blood test results, and systemic diagnoses. Patients identified with XP in at least 1 eye constituted the study group. A control group without XP was established matched by age and sex at a 10:1 ratio to allow robust statistical analysis.

Main Outcome Measures

Associations between XP and dyslipidemia and CVD were determined. Lipid profiles and diagnoses of dyslipidemia and CVD were compared between the case and control groups.

Results

The database included 35 452 individuals, 24 287 of whom were male (69%), with a mean ± standard deviation age of 52.2 ± 12.2 years. The study population included 203 patients with XP (0.6%) and 2030 matched control participants. The prevalence of dyslipidemia diagnosis was similar between the two groups (42% XP vs. 46% controls, P = 0.29), as were the use rates of statins, fibrates, or other cholesterol-lowering medications (48% XP vs. 47% controls, P = 0.88). Lipid profiles were similar between the groups, including total cholesterol (controls median 187 [IQR, 163-211] vs. XP 192 [166-215], P = 0.093), high-density lipoprotein (controls median 48 [IQR, 41-57] vs. XP 47 [42-57], P = 0.65), low-density lipoprotein (controls median 120 [101-141] vs. XP 125 [104-145], P = 0.17), and triglyceride levels (controls median 111 [81-152] vs. XP 105 [81-139], P = 0.16). The rate of CVD was similar as well (10% control group vs. 8.9% XP group; P = 0.56). The prevalences of related conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and history of cerebrovascular accident, were similar between groups (24% control group vs. 23% XP group, 14% control group vs. 10% XP group, and 1.3% control group vs. 1% XP group, respectively; P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Xanthelasma palpebrarum was not associated with increased rates of dyslipidemia or CVD. This questions the extent to which XP serves as an indicative marker for heightened systemic risk.

Financial Disclosure(s)

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.