ORIGINAL ARTICLE Correlation between Lipid Profile and Left Ventricular Geometry and Function in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

West Afr J Med. September 2023; 40 (9): 935-942

Abstract

Background: Dyslipidaemia in children with chronic kidney disease is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease especially left ventricular hypertrophy. There have been conflicting reports on the association between serum lipid levels and left ventricular structure and function in children with chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: This study is aimed to determine the correlation between lipid profile and left ventricular geometry and function in children with chronic kidney disease. The study first established lipid profile levels in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and compared them with those with normal renal and cardiac function. This was a cross-sectional comparative study carried out among children with CKD and age and sex-matched children without any renal or cardiac pathology as controls.

Results: The age range of the study population was 6-17 years with a mean of 12.33 ± 4.24 years, with no statistical difference between groups (t = 0.000, P = 1.000). Though lipid profile levels were higher in subjects with chronic kidney injury than controls, only TG (Triglycerides) was significantly higher in the subjects (1.9 ± 0.4mmol/l) when compared with controls (1.4 ± 0.2mmol/l). P =0.001. There was a positive correlation observed between serum very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular posterior wall diameter (LVPWd), and left ventricular mass (LVM) in subjects r = 0.413, 0.409, 0.414 respectively. The TG/HDL ratio of subjects (1.4±0.4) was higher than controls (1.1 ± 0.1) and this was statistically significant (t = -2.6; p = 0.011). Furthermore, the NON-HDL/TC of subjects (0.8 ±0.1) was higher than that of controls (0.7±0.1) and this was statistically significant (t = -4.0; p <0.001). Finally, the NON-HDL/HDL of subjects (4.0 ± 1.4) was higher than that of controls (2.7 ± 0.5) and this was statistically significant (t -4.0; p<0.001).

Conclusion: Serum triglycerides are the only lipoprotein that was noted to be significantly higher in children with chronic kidney disease when compared with controls. VLDL is the only lipoprotein with a significant correlation with left ventricular dimension, and hypertrophy. Children with CKD have higher TG/HDL, Non-HDL/ TC, and Non-HDL/HDL ratios than their normal counterparts.