Hyejin Chun, Sang Wha Lee, Yukyung Choi, Hong Soo Lee, Kyung Won Shim

Department of Family Medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea


Background: Serum total bilirubin has been considered a harmful substance inducing oxidative reaction; but recently, there have been reports of it possessing antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and protective features against cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between total bilirubin and the Framingham risk score.
Methods: This study involved 3,414 healthy Korean men who underwent a medical check-up in a health promotion center in 2008. We calculated the Framingham risk score using age, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 44.9±8.8 years. The log transformed serum total bilirubin level and the Framingham risk score had a negative linear relationship in a simple linear regression analysis (R2: 0.018, P<0.001). In a multivariable analysis model, as well, the log transformed serum total bilirubin level and the Framingham risk score had a negative linear relationship (R2: 0.384, P<0.001).
Conclusions: Our study showed a statistically significant negative relationship between total bilirubin and the Framingham risk score. Total bilirubin had a stronger relationship with the Framingham risk score than other standard cardiovascular risk factors except smoking, and thus may be useful in predicting cardiovascular risk in the outpatient clinic.

Korean J Health Promot 2013;13(1):1-7

Keywords: Total bilirubin, Framingham risk score, Cardiovascular disease