Geographic Variations in the Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Dyslipidemia among Chinese Adults in 2018–2019: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective

To investigate the spatial patterns of the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia at the provincial level in China.

Methods

A national and provincial representative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 178,558 Chinese adults in 31 provinces in mainland China in 2018–2019, using a multi-stage, stratified, cluster-randomized sampling design. Subjects, as households, were selected, followed by a home visit to collect information. Both descriptive and linear regression procedures were applied in the analyses.

Results

The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 35.6%, and wide geographic variations of prevalence, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia were identified among 178,558 eligible participants with a mean age of 55.1 ± 13.8 years. The highest-lowest difference regarding the provincial level prevalence rates were 19.7% vs. 2.1% for high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 16.7% vs. 2.5% for high total cholesterol, 35.9% vs. 5.4% for high triglycerides, and 31.4% vs. 10.5% for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The treatment rate of dyslipidemia was correlated with the socio-demographic index (P < 0.001), urbanization rate (P = 0.01), and affordable basic technologies and essential medicines (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Prevailing dyslipidemia among the Chinese population and its wide geographic variations in prevalence, treatment, and control suggest that China needs both integrated and localized public health strategies across provinces to improve lipid management.