Association between healthy lifestyle score and dyslipidemia; a population based study

Abstract Background The prevalence of dyslipidemia in Iran is high, making it important to identify its risk factors. However, the association between dyslipidemia and the healthy lifestyle index (HLS), which encompasses various individual behaviors, has not been extensively studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between HLS and dyslipidemia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 6,690 participants from the baseline phase of the Ravansar non-communicable diseases study (RaNCD) cohort study. The HLS score was determined based on four lifestyle components: physical activity, diet, smoking status, and obesity. Binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between dyslipidemia and HLS quartiles. Results The average age of the participants was 45.76 ± 7.76 years, with 47.49% being male and 41.26% residing in rural areas. Anthropometric indices decreased across the HLS quartiles (Ptrend < 0.001). The intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, white meat, eggs, and nuts was significantly higher in the fourth quartile compared to the first quartile of HLS (Ptrend < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, drinking habits, and residence, the odds of dyslipidemia decreased in the second (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.57–0.81), third (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.47–0.64), and fourth quartiles of HLS (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.30–0.46) compared to the first quartile (Ptrend < 0.001). Conclusion This study shows that a higher HLS may be associated with a lower likelihood of dyslipidemia. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes smoking cessation, regular physical activity, weight control, and a nutritious diet may help prevent dyslipidemia.