Plasma triglyceride and coronary heart disease.

Abstract

Although the literature on epidemiological associations between plasma triglyceride and CHD is not completely consistent, trends do emerge from the studies described here. First, the majority of observational studies demonstrate a significant univariate relation, although the results of case-control and cross-sectional studies are more uniform than those from prospective study designs. In many but not all studies, triglyceride remains a significant predictor of CHD in multivariate statistical analyses after controlling for TC or LDL-C. Perhaps the least consistent result is that the triglyceride association does not persist in some analyses controlling for HDL-C, while in other studies, the association remains significant. Although most studies have been conducted in men, the studies providing data on women, normocholesterolemic subjects, and diabetic subjects have generally found triglyceride to be, at the very least, a univariate risk factor. The results of intervention trials differ considerably, but no such study to date has been specifically designed to evaluate triglyceride-lowering effects on primary prevention of CHD. Important statistical properties must be taken into consideration in evaluating triglyceride as a risk factor for CHD. The large variability of triglyceride measurements and the correlation of triglyceride values with other lipid measures appears to result in the underestimation of the association between triglyceride and disease in multivariate analyses. Finally, individual genetic susceptibility may play an important role in the relation between plasma triglyceride levels and CHD. For example, risk of CHD clearly varies among the well-established familial forms of hypertriglyceridemia. A predominance of small, dense, LDL particles (LDL subclass pattern B) also appears to be a genetic trait associated with both increased risk of MI and increases in plasma triglyceride levels.

Oxidised LDL, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol levels in patients of coronary artery disease

“…In our study level of serum VLDL was very significantly raised in cases (p<0.001). Studies have shown high risk of CAD in patients with increased serum TGL levels (11). Since VLDL carries the highest amount of TGL this may be the reason for very high level of VLDL in our study.…”

Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Carotid Artery Stenosis: The Tromsø Study

“…The results of multivariate statistical analyses including both triglycerides and HDL cholesterol may be difficult to interpret, due to the metabolic interrelationship between HDL and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Furthermore, the larger variability of triglyceride levels may result in an underestimation of the relationships between triglycerides and disease [25]. Measurements of fasting triglyceride levels can lower some of this variability, but people are in a nonfasting state most of their time, so fasting levels may not measure their exposure to triglycerides correctly.…”

Triglyceride, small, dense low-density lipoprotein, and the atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype

“…The importance of elevated plasma cholesterol as a risk factor for coronary heart disease is indisputable, but the role of triglyceride has been controversial for decades [1][2][3][4], and has been referred to as the "forgotten risk factor" [5]. Epidemiologic evidence now demonstrates that elevated triglyceride is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), independent of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.…”