Dyslipidaemia related to insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease in South Asian and West African populations.

The global burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing. Obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide and is associated with dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Excess risks of T2DM and CVD are found in migrant Indian Asian and West African populations but with increasing urbanization similar changes are occurring in the original populations and are likely to predispose to a large increase in worldwide burden of CVD. Genetic and environmental factors interacting together play a role in the lipid patterns observed. Dyslipidaemia in the MetS associated with insulin resistance is characterised by an atherogenic lipid profile comprising elevated triglycerides, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and increased numbers of small dense low density lipoprotein particles. The pattern of dyslipidaemia varies across different ethnic groups with increases in triglycerides and a reduction in HDL-C being the commonest pattern in non-Caucasians. This review surveys the literature on dyslipidaemia in Indian Asian and West African populations and how it relates to CVD risk in those populations. It is important that dyslipidaemia and other conventional risk factors for CVD are adequately addressed and managed especially in high-risk populations.