Table 1. Lipid levels among Malawian, adult HIV patients stratified by urban/rural site and by gender.
| Lipid profiles (N = 554) | Total N (%) |
Rural n (%) |
Urban n (%) |
P-value* | Female n (%) |
Male n (%) |
P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | 0.814 | 0.026 | |||||
| Elevated | 86 (15.5) | 44 (15.9) | 42 (15.2) | 71 (17.6) | 15 (9.9) | ||
| Normal | 468 (84.5) | 233 (84.1) | 235 (84.8) | 332 (82.4) | 136 (90.1) | ||
| Mean total cholesterol (SD) | 4.14 (1.02) | 4.18 (0.99) | 4.10 (1.04) | 0.173 | 4.23 (1.05) | 3.89 (0.88) | <0.01 |
| HDL cholesterol | 0.642 | <0.01 | |||||
| Low | 88 (15.9) | 46 (16.6) | 42 (15.2) | 50 (12.4) | 38 (25.2) | ||
| Normal | 466 (84.1) | 231 (83.4) | 235 (84.8) | 353 (87.6) | 113 (74.8) | ||
| Mean HDL cholesterol (SD) | 1.60 (0.82) | 1.58 (0.74) | 1.62 (0.89) | 0.682 | 1.65 (0.84) | 1.46 (0.73) | 0.006 |
| Total/HDL cholesterol ratio | 0.824 | 0.890 | |||||
| Elevated | 21 (3.8) | 11 (4.0) | 10 (3.6) | 15 (3.7) | 6 (4.0) | ||
| Normal | 533 (96.2) | 266 (96.0) | 267 (96.4) | 388 (96.3) | 145 (96.0) | ||
| Mean total/HDL cholesterol (SD) | 2.91 (1.04) | 2.95 (1.04) | 2.87 (1.04) | 0.177 | 2.86 (1.02) | 3.02 (1.10) | 0.946 |
| Triglycerides | 0.159 | 0.002 | |||||
| Elevated | 159 (28.7) | 87 (31.4) | 72 (26.0) | 130 (32.3) | 29 (19.2) | ||
| Normal | 395 (71.3) | 190 (68.6) | 205 (74.0) | 273 (67.7) | 122 (80.8) | ||
| Mean triglycerides (SD) | 2.51 (3.57) | 2.72 (4.87) | 2.31 (1.33) | 0.088 | 2.69 (4.11) | 2.03 (1.16) | 0.026* |
SD, standard deviation; HDL, high density lipoprotein cholesterol
* P-value based on result of two-way sample t-test with equal variances or chi-square test, as applicable