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Published on: October 12, 2017
[Hypocholesterolemia: prevalence, diagnostic and prognostic value. Study in a department of internal medicine]
H Lévesque1, A Gancel, S Pertuet
1Service de Médecine interne, CHU de Rouen-Boisguillaume.
Insights
Low serum cholesterol (hypocholesterolaemia) affects 6.2% of internal medicine patients. This condition is linked to male predominance, increased hospitalizations, and a higher risk of malignant diseases, warranting medical attention.
Area of Science:
- Internal Medicine
- Clinical Biochemistry
Context:
- Serum cholesterol levels are routinely measured in hospitalized patients.
- Hypocholesterolaemia is defined as a total serum cholesterol level below 4 mmol/l.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of hypocholesterolaemia in internal medicine patients.
- To investigate potential associations between hypocholesterolaemia and patient characteristics or morbidity.
Summary:
- 6.2% of internal medicine patients exhibited hypocholesterolaemia.
- Hypocholesterolaemic patients showed a male predominance and indicators of increased morbidity, including longer hospital stays and more rehospitalizations.
- Malignant diseases were present in over a quarter of hypocholesterolaemia cases.
Impact:
- Highlights hypocholesterolaemia as a potential marker for underlying associated diseases, particularly malignancies.
- Encourages physicians to consider low serum cholesterol levels as a significant clinical finding requiring further investigation.
Abstract:
Serum cholesterol was measured in all patients admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine over one year. 6.2 percent had hypocholesterolaemia defined as total serum cholesterol level below 4 mmol/l. Comparison with non-hypocholesterolaemic patients showed male predominance and indirect arguments for increased morbidity: longer duration of hospital stay, greater number of rehospitalizations, greater number of associated diseases. In over a quarter of the cases, hypocholesterolaemia was associated with malignant disease. These results should entice physicians to caution when finding a low serum cholesterol level: this could be a marker of associated disease, especially malignant.
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