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Lipoprotein profile and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in urban Moroccan women

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 1379–1386 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The study aimed to characterize the lipid and apolipoprotein profile and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a population of urban adult women of Morocco.

Design:

A total of 213 women 25–55 y old were sampled from an agricultural province of Morocco: El Jadida. The following parameters of lipid and apolipoprotein profile were measured: plasma triglycerides (TG), plasma cholesterol (TC), triglyceride-rich lipoprotein triglycerides (TRL-TG), TRL-cholesterol (TRL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoproteins A1, B, B48, CIII and E. Waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) were also determined.

Results:

The women studied showed the following pattern: elevated TC, LDL-C levels and TC/HDL-C in 10, 19.4 and in 43.8%, respectively; low HDL-C levels in 45.3% (<0.9 mmol/l) or in 95% (when the cutoff <1.3 mmol/l is used), elevated TG levels in 11.8%. Elevated TRL-C (>0.6 mmol/l) and TRL-TG (>0.8 mmol/l) were observed in 13.4%. Obesity and hypertension were highly prevalent in 23.9 and 16.5%, respectively. Plasma triglyceride concentrations were closely correlated with plasma concentrations of TRL-TG (R=0.86, P=0.0001), apoB (R=0.50, P=0.0001) and apoCIII (R=0.52, P=0.0001) and moderately correlated with HDL-C levels (R=−0.3, P=0.0001) and BMI (R=0.4, P=0.0001). The association between BMI and systolic blood pressure was statistically significant (R=0.3, P=0.0001). Obesity, BP, TRL-C, TRL-TG, TG, apoB and apoCIII increased with age.

Conclusion:

There is a high prevalence of some risk factors for cardiovascular disease including altered lipid and lipoprotein profiles in the Moroccan urban women studied, some of these risk factors are associated with age.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been carried out with the financial support (Joint grant) of INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale, France) and CNCPRST (Centre National de Coopération et de Recherche Scientifique, Morocco), and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional council. El ayachi M was INSERM postdoctoral Fellow at INSERM Unit 476, Marseille, France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie Appliquée à la Nutrition et à l'Alimentation, Faculté des sciences d'El jadida, Maroc

    M El ayachi, M Mziwira & R Belahsen

  2. Unité 476 INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), Faculté de Médecine de la Timone, Marseille, France

    S Vincent, C Defoort & D Lairon

  3. Laboratoire Central de Biochimie (CCBL de l'Arcol), Hopital Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France

    H Portugal

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  1. M El ayachi
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Correspondence to R Belahsen.

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Guarantors: R Belahsen and M El ayachi.

Contributors: DL and RB: Principal investigators (project responsibles). MEla, MM and RB: Realization of the survey. MEla, MM, SV, CD and HP: Laboratory analysis.

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El ayachi, M., Mziwira, M., Vincent, S. et al. Lipoprotein profile and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in urban Moroccan women. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 1379–1386 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602251

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