Association between lipid profile and the prevalence of asthma: a meta-analysis and systemic review

Objective: To explore the association of asthma with serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglyceride. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were systematically searched through November 2015 using the following search terms: dyslipidemia, HDL, LDL, triglyceride, cholesterol, and asthma. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), retrospective, cohort, and cross-sectional studies. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were performed. Results: Twenty studies were included in the analysis, with a total 32,604 patients (3,458 in the asthma group and 29,146 in the control group). The pooled analysis found that the mean difference between groups was significantly higher in the asthma group for levels of LDL (6.026mg/dL, 95% CI=2.696-9.356, p<.001) and total cholesterol (8.161mg/dL, 95% CI = 3.006-13.316, p = .002) compared with the control group. No association was observed between asthma and control groups for levels of HDL (mean difference = -0.728, 95% CI = -3.146-1.691, p =.555) or triglycerides (mean difference = 1.436, 95% CI = -2.768-5.640, p =.503). Conclusions: Levels of LDL and total cholesterol were higher in patients with asthma than non-asthmatic patients.