LAUSR

To evaluate associations between circulating miRNAs and lipid profiles with household income, medication and health care expenditures per capita in residents of Sao Paulo municipality, Brazil. As part of the Health Survey of São Paulo (ISA-Capital), a population-based study, we collected blood samples of 573 healthy individuals aged 12 years or more to measure the lipid profile and levels of 21 circulating miRNA, which have been previously implicated in dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation. Data on household income, medication and health care expenditures per capita was assessed by a questionnaire administered in the individual's households. Considering that the variables were not normally distributed, their correlations were estimated using the Spearman's coefficient test under a 0.05 significance level. Data analysis was performed using the software R version 4.0.2. The correlation coefficients between circulating miRNAs and plasma lipid profile with household income, medication and health care expenditures per capita were not statistically significant (P-value > 0.05), and their point estimates were very close to zero. These results show that circulating miRNAs and lipid profile are not informative for the prediction of expenditures on health care or drug intake and household income per capita in Sao Paulo residents. This study showed that there is no relationship between the dyad miRNA-lipid levels and health care expenditures. Further strategies to identify potential predictors of health care costs, especially other epigenetic and genetic markers related to dyslipidemia are necessary and might help decreasing the economic burden in the health system. São Paulo Municipal Health Department, Research Support Foundation of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP), and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)