TITLE:
Low Plasma Potassium and High Iron Levels Increased the Risk of Dyslipidemia among Non-Diabetic Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Living and Working in Cotonou, Benin
AUTHORS:
Patrice Hodonou Avogbe, Ambaliou Sanni
KEYWORDS:
Cotonou, Dyslipidemia, Iron, Potassium, Taxi-Motorbike Drivers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases,
Vol.12 No.7,
July
22,
2022
ABSTRACT: Non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as iron and potassium may play a role in lipid metabolism. However, information on this association is lacking in populations of Benin. This study evaluated the associations between plasma iron and potassium levels and risk of dyslipidemia among taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) in Cotonou. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 134 males TMDs aged ≥20 years old, of whom 39 (29.1%) had dyslipidemia. Plasma biochemistry including measurements of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), iron, and potassium were performed. Dyslipidemia was defined as any or combinations of the following: TC > 5.2 mmol/L, LDL-C > 3.4 mmol/L, TG > 1.7 mmol/L, and HDL-C rd tertile (>18.8 μmol/L) to the 1st tertile of plasma iron (nd tertile (4.4 - 4.8 μmol/L) to the 1st tertile (nd and 3rd tertiles to the 1st tertile of plasma potassium were 0.19 (0.04 - 0.87, p = 0.032) and 0.14 (0.02 - 0.93, p = 0.043). In conclusion, our study shows that higher plasma iron and low potassium levels are significant predictors of dyslipidemia in TMDs. As such, the findings have public health implications for predicting and preventing dyslipidemia and associated cardiometabolic diseases. However, longitudinal studies are needed to determine if disturbances in iron and potassium levels, even within the normal range, are precursors or consequences of dyslipidemia.