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Mebomian gland dysfunction and hypercholesterolemia
Author(s) -
PINNA A,
ZINELLU A,
GIACOBONI M,
BLASETTI F,
CARTA F
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2010.308.x
Subject(s) - medicine , familial hypercholesterolemia , cholesterol , coronary heart disease , ldl cholesterol , risk factor , blood lipids , elderly people , endocrinology , gastroenterology , cardiology , gerontology
Purpose To investigate a possible correlation between Mebomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL). Methods Fasting blood cholesterol was measured in 35 MGD patients (mean age 47±14 years) with no history of hypercholesterolemia and in 35 control subjects (mean age 44±12 years) without MGD and no history of hypercholesterolemia, all accrued in September‐November 2009. Subjects aged <18 years or >65 years were excluded from this study Results Hypercholesterolemia was found in 19 (54.3%) cases and 4 (11.4%) controls. Mean cholesterol was 211±38 mg/dL in cases and 160±33 mg/dL in controls. Both differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion Results suggest that middle‐aged MGD patients with no history of hypercholesterolemia may have higher blood cholesterol levels than controls of similar age without MGD. If these results are confirmed by larger studies, MGD may become a marker of previously unknown hypercholesterolemia and ophthalmologists may increase their role in the early diagnosis of an important risk factor for coronary heart disease and other atherosclerotic diseases.