Comparative Analysis of Serum Lipid Profiles Among Hypertensive and Diabetic Patients in Kaduna State, Northwest, Nigeria: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The serum lipid profile is a key biochemical parameter that serves as a marker for predicting adverse cardiovascular events. This study aims to analyze and compare the serum lipid profiles among hypertensive and diabetic patients. The serum lipid profiles of 172 hypertensive and 142 diabetic patients, seen over a four-year period (2019 – 2022), were retrieved from the electronic database of the Department of Chemical Pathology and Immunology, at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna. The percentages of patients with abnormal lipid values were calculated for various lipids in both groups. T-test was used to compare the mean lipid values between the two groups. Among hypertensive patients, the percentages of abnormal lipid values were as follows: HDL (16.0%), LDL (25.6%), total cholesterol (31.8%), and triglycerides (14.0%), with 5.8% having both elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. In the diabetic group, the percentages were: HDL(22.4%), LDL (16.9%), total cholesterol (30.1%), and triglycerides (13.8%), with 7.3% having both elevated total cholesterol and triglycerides. The mean lipid values for hypertensive versus diabetic patients were compared as follows: HDL (1.3±0.8 vs 1.2±0.3, t=1.737, p=0.08), LDL (3.3±1.0 vs 3.1±1.1, t=2.170, p=0.03), total cholesterol (5.3±1.2 vs 5.2±1.7, t=0.598, p=0.55), and triglycerides (1.6±1.0 vs 1.6±0.6, t=0.389, p=0.70).The predominant lipid abnormality among both hypertensive and diabetic patients was hypercholesterolaemia. Hypertensive patients had significantly higher LDL levels compared to diabetic patients.