Long-term Weight Changes and Subsequent Hypercholesterolemia in Chinese Population

Aims: To explore the relationship between long-term body weight changes and hypercholes-terolemia in middle aged Chinese population.

Study Design: Population based cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Epidemiology, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, between August 1998 and December 1998.

Methodology: Data were from China Multicenter Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular Epidemiology which was conducted in 1998, including 15 population samples selected by random cluster sampling. Approximately 1000 men and women in each population were surveyed for CVD risk factors, including to asking participants’ body weight at age 25. Weight change was the difference between the body weight at the age of 25 and at the survey. The association of long-term body weight change with hypercholesterolemia was examined by Logistic Regression models.

Results: A total of 13883 participants including 6603 men and 7280 women were enrolled. After adjusting for age, sex and other potential confounding factors, long-term weight gain since age 25 was positively and weight loss negatively associated with the risk of hypercholesterolemia. In comparison with participants with a weight gain from − 2.5 to 2.5 kg since 25 years old, the ORs (95% CI) of developing hypercholesterolemia for other weight change categories of <− 7.5 kg, − 7.5 to − 2.6 kg, 2.6 to 7.5 kg, 7.6 to 12.5 kg, and >12.5 kg were 0.59(0.49-0.71), 0.90(0.78-1.03), 1.19(1.06-1.35), 1.39(1.23-1.57), and 1.72(1.53-1.93), respectively.

Conclusion: Long-term weight gain was independently associated with the marked increase in risk of hypercholesterolemia in middle-aged Chinese men and women. Weight loss may help to reduce the risk of hypercholesterolemia for people who were overweight or obese in early adulthood.