Objective: Hyperlipidemia can develop as a consequence of a sedentary life or becoming bedridden, malnutrition, and the use of drugs such as carbamazepine, and is associated with a greater risk of morbidity and mortality. The most common diagnoses in pediatric palliative care (PPC) patients are neurological diseases, metabolic diseases, and genetic and congenital conditions. This is the first study to collect and analyze data of the lipid levels of children receiving palliative care support in Türkiye.
Materials and Methods: Hospital records of PPC patients were used to gather the data used in this retrospective study. Hyperlipidemia was defined by a triglyceride (TG) value of >75 mg/dL for patients aged 0–9 years and >90 mg/dL for those aged 10–19 years of age, along with a total cholesterol (TC) level of >170 mg/dL, a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of >110 mg/dL, and a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level of ≤45 mg/dL.
Results: A total of 89 cases were included. The mean age of the participants was 6.2±4.8 years (range: 0.1–17 years), and 53.9% (n=48) were female. Lipid level examination revealed a mean TC level of 147.65±38.22 mg/dL, TG level of 141.76±111.61 mg/dL, HDL level of 38.98±11.43 mg/dL, and LDL level of 85.29±47.14 mg/dL. A correlation was found between the alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, vitamin B12, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, albumin, and lipid levels.
Conclusion: PPC patients may have particularly high TG levels and low HDL levels. It is important to meet the nutritional needs of those in PPC, to keep the albumin, hemoglobin, and phosphorus levels high, and to monitor vitamin B12 and mean corpuscular volume. Larger and multicentered studies are needed to more fully identify and address PPC needs.