Plasma triglyceride and coronary heart disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular epidemiology
• Lipid metabolism and cardiovascular risk

Background:

• Plasma triglyceride levels are a key focus in cardiovascular disease research.
• The epidemiological evidence linking triglycerides to coronary heart disease (CHD) shows varying degrees of consistency across study designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize the epidemiological literature on the association between plasma triglyceride levels and coronary heart disease (CHD).
• To identify factors influencing the observed associations and discuss implications for risk assessment and intervention.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and synthesis of observational studies (case-control, cross-sectional, prospective) examining triglyceride levels and CHD risk.
• Analysis of multivariate statistical models controlling for other lipid parameters like total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, and HDL-C.
• Consideration of data from diverse populations including women, normocholesterolemic individuals, and diabetic subjects.

Main Results:

• A majority of observational studies show a significant univariate association between plasma triglycerides and CHD.
• Triglyceride levels often remain significant predictors of CHD in multivariate analyses, though this is not consistently observed when controlling for HDL-C.
• The association appears consistent across various subgroups, including women and diabetic individuals, where triglycerides function as at least a univariate risk factor.

Conclusions:

• Plasma triglycerides are a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease, despite inconsistencies in some multivariate analyses.
• Statistical properties like measurement variability and correlation with other lipids can affect the observed association strength.
• Genetic factors, such as familial hypertriglyceridemia and LDL subclass pattern B, play a role in modulating CHD risk associated with elevated triglycerides.