Atherogenic Risk in Commerce and Industry Workers: Associations with Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors in a Large Spanish Occupational Cohort.

BACKGROUND Atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) and associated lipid ratios are critical markers for cardiovascular risk, yet little is known about how these markers vary by occupational sector and sociodemographic or lifestyle factors in working populations.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of elevated atherogenic risk according to total cholesterol/HDL-c (TC/HDL-c), LDL-c/HDL-c, triglycerides/HDL-c (TG/HDL-c), and AD in workers from the commerce and industry sectors, stratified by sex, age, education, physical activity, diet, and smoking.

METHODS This cross-sectional study included 56,856 Spanish workers (39,448 men and 17,408 women) from commerce (n=27,448) and industry (n=29,408). Sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle data were collected, and atherogenic risk was assessed using TC/HDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c, TG/HDL-c ratios, and AD presence. Mean values and prevalence were compared by group, and multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between risk markers and covariates.

RESULTS Workers in the industry sector showed higher mean values and prevalence of all atherogenic risk scales compared to those in commerce, particularly among men and older age groups. Male sex, older age, lower education, physical inactivity, absence of Mediterranean diet, and smoking were consistently associated with higher odds of elevated lipid ratios and AD. Notably, the absence of physical activity was strongly associated with all outcomes, with ORs ranging from 3.08 to 11.66. The industrial sector was independently associated with increased risk: TC/HDL-c (OR=1.23), LDL-c/HDL-c (OR=1.15), TG/HDL-c (OR=1.16), and AD (OR=1.19).

CONCLUSIONS Atherogenic risk profiles are less favorable among industrial workers and are significantly influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors. These findings support the need for preventive strategies tailored to the occupational context, with emphasis on promoting physical activity, smoking cessation, and healthier dietary habits, in order to reduce cardiovascular risk in these populations.