Association between lipid profile and the prevalence of asthma: a meta-analysis and systemic review

Abstract

Objective: To explore the association of asthma with serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglyceride.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were systematically searched through November 2015 using the following search terms: dyslipidemia, HDL, LDL, triglyceride, cholesterol, and asthma. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), retrospective, cohort, and cross-sectional studies. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were performed.

Results: Twenty studies were included in the analysis, with a total 32,604 patients (3,458 in the asthma group and 29,146 in the control group). The pooled analysis found that the mean difference between groups was significantly higher in the asthma group for levels of LDL (6.026 mg/dL, 95% CI = 2.696–9.356, p < .001) and total cholesterol (8.161 mg/dL, 95% CI = 3.006–13.316, p = .002) compared with the control group. No association was observed between asthma and control groups for levels of HDL (mean difference = –0.728, 95% CI = –3.146–1.691, p = .555) or triglycerides (mean difference = 1.436, 95% CI = –2.768–5.640, p = .503).

Conclusions: Levels of LDL and total cholesterol were higher in patients with asthma than non-asthmatic patients.

Keywords:

• Asthma
• high-density lipoproteins
• low-density lipoproteins
• triglycerides
• total cholesterol

Transparency

Declaration of funding

The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 81300024 and the Department of Science and Technology of Liaoning Province under Grant No. 2013225049.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The authors declare no conflict of interest. CMRO peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Data were represented as mean ± SD, except for mean with p-value for TG of Vinding et al.³⁷ study, and lipid profiles of Schafer et al.³⁵ study.

HDL, high-density lipoprotein, LDL, low-density lipoprotein, TC, total cholesterol, TG, triglyceride.

NA, not assessed.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81770021) and the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No.20170540994).