Association between fasting plasma triglycerides, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Czech population. Results...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Epidemiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Dyslipidemia is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• The association between plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and mortality in Slavic populations remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the association between fasting plasma triglyceride levels and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a Slavic cohort.
• To determine if elevated TG levels correlate with increased mortality risk.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving 3,143 males and 3,650 females (mean age 58.3 years).
• Follow-up period of up to 11.8 years, recording 729 deaths (274 cardiovascular).
• Statistical analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, unemployment, smoking, BMI, and dyslipidemia interventions.

Main Results:

• All-cause mortality was significantly higher in individuals with TG levels of 3.01-4.00 mmol/l (HR 1.37) and over 4.00 mmol/l (HR 1.66) compared to the reference group (1.41-1.80 mmol/l).
• The association remained significant after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. Further adjustment for lifestyle factors reduced the HR for the highest TG group (over 4.00 mmol/l) to 1.42.
• Cardiovascular mortality showed a similar trend, reaching statistical significance only for TG levels over 4.0 mmol/l (P=0.028).

Conclusions:

• Elevated plasma triglyceride levels are dose-dependently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in the studied Slavic population.
• Individuals with TG levels between 1.8-3.0 mmol/l do not appear to be at a higher risk of death.
• These findings highlight the importance of managing high triglyceride levels for cardiovascular health in this demographic.