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Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Older Patients Who Develop Hypocholesterolemia
Author(s) -
Noel Margaret A.,
Smith Thuy K.,
Ettinger Walter H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb02489.x
Subject(s) - hypocholesterolemia , medicine , cholesterol , very low density lipoprotein , triglyceride , lipoprotein
Objectives This research project was undertaken to determine the clinical characteristics, lipoprotein abnormalities, and outcomes of older hospitalized patients who develop hypocholesterolemia. Methods The project had two parts: (1) a retrospective, case‐control study of 50 hospitalized patients ≥65 years old whose serum cholesterol was normal on admission (≥160 mg/dL) and fell to ≤120 mg/dl during hospitalization; (2) a laboratory study of lipoproteins in 17 hospitalized patients ≥65 years old whose cholesterol was normal on admission but fell to ≤120 mg/dL during hospitalization. Results Case‐control Study—Nine percent of patients ≥65 years old developed hypocholesterolemia while in the hospital, and these patients were more likely than controls to have undergone surgery and to have nothing by mouth for 5 days or longer. Cases had a longer length of stay, more complications, and were slightly more likely to die in the hospital than controls. Laboratory Study—Hypocholesterolemic patients had low concentrations of all lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL, HDL), and the LDL and HDL were enriched in triglyceride and depleted of cholesterol ester. Conclusion Acquired hypocholesterolemia is a common finding in hospitalized older patients and is associated with poor outcomes. Patients who became hypocholesterolemic in the hospital had both a low concentration of lipoprotein particles and abnormalities in lipoprotein particle composition.