Relationship between lipid profile and severity of chronic kidney disease among patients attending the Nephrology Clinic of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin

Abstract

Back ground: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide with increasing incidence and prevalence with antecedent high medical cost and poor outcome. The increasing risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the high prevalence of dyslipidaemia in patients with CKD coupled with paucity of data correlating lipid profile with stages of CKD necessitate this study. Methodology: One hundred and twenty CKD patients were consecutively selected from among the predialysis CKD patients attending the nephrology unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (U.I.T.H) Ilorin, Nigeria. Sixty (60) age and sex matched controls were also selected from among the staff and medical students. Creatinine, urea and lipid profile [total cholesterol (T-c), triglyceride (TG) high density lipoprotein (HDL-c) and low density lipoprotein (LDL-c)] were estimated in the serum of both patients and controls. Student t-test was used to compare means of results where appropriate. Pearson correlation formula was used to examine relationship between variables. Results: There were statistically significant differences when the mean lipid profiles of the CKD patients were compared with that of the controls (p<0.05). Significant elevations were observed in the values of LDL-c, TG and T-c in CKD patients when compared with controls, while significant decrease was observed in the case of HDLc. Significant negative correlations were observed when both HDL-c and coronary heart disease risk ratio were compared with stages of CKD (r= 0.565 and 0.542 respectively and p-value<0.05 for both). There was a significant positive correlation between serum triglycerides level and stages of CKD (r = 0.601 and p<0.05). Correlation indices between BMI, T-c, LDL-c and stage of CKD were weakly positive with r values of 0.032, 0.032, 0.051 and 0.213 respectively with p-value>0.05 in all. Conclusion: We concluded that dyslipidaemia is common in chronic kidney disease and worsened with the severity of CKD. Therefore early lipid profile is advised in CKD patients as well as holistic interpretation of lipid profile as prompt treatment may prevent cardiovascular events and retard the progression of kidney disease.