Fasting status modifies the association between triglyceride and all-cause mortality: A cohort study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Epidemiology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Triglyceride levels, both fasting and non-fasting, are linked to all-cause mortality.
• The influence of fasting status on this association remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether fasting status modifies the association between triglyceride levels and all-cause mortality.
• To compare the predictive power of fasting versus non-fasting triglyceride levels for mortality risk.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 34,512 US adults, including 27,036 fasting and 7,476 nonfasting participants.
• Ascertainment of all-cause mortality via linkage to the National Death Index.
• Utilized Cox proportional hazards models to estimate mortality risk associated with triglyceride levels.

Main Results:

• A 1-unit increase in natural log of triglyceride was associated with an 8% higher risk of all-cause mortality overall.
• This association was significantly stronger in the nonfasting subcohort (17% increased risk) compared to the fasting subcohort.
• High and very high triglyceride levels were associated with increased mortality risk only in nonfasting individuals.

Conclusions:

• Nonfasting triglyceride levels demonstrate greater sensitivity in predicting all-cause mortality compared to fasting levels.
• Results support current guidelines recommending nonfasting triglycerides for risk assessment.