Hong, Sung‐Jin

Abstract Aims The aim of this study was to assess the association between triglyceride (TG) levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality concerning low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and age in the general population. Methods and results From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 15 672 028 participants aged 18–99 who underwent routine health examinations were followed up for CVD mortality. Hazard ratios for CVD mortality were calculated using Cox models after adjusting for various confounders. During a mean of 8.8 years of follow-up, 105 174 individuals died of CVD. There was a clear log-linear association between TG and overall CVD mortality down to 50 mg/dL. Each two-fold increase in TG was associated with 1.10-fold (overall CVD), 1.22-fold [ischaemic heart disease (IHD)], 1.24-fold [acute myocardial infarction (AMI)], and 1.10-fold (ischaemic stroke) higher CVD mortality. Haemorrhagic stroke and heart failure were not associated with TG levels. The impact of hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) on CVD weakened but remained present in persons with LDL-C < 100 mg/dL, in whom each two-fold higher TG was associated with 1.05-fold (overall CVD), 1.12-fold (IHD), 1.15-fold (AMI), and 1.05-fold (ischaemic stroke) higher CVD mortality. The younger population (18–44 years) had stronger associations between TG levels and mortality from overall CVD, IHD, and AMI than the older population. Conclusion Hypertriglyceridaemia independently raises CVD mortality with lingering risks in young and older individuals with low LDL-C levels, suggesting the importance of management of HTG even with controlled LDL-C.

Introduction: The role of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) in cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial, especially in persons with well-controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Hypothesis: We aimed to evaluate the association between triglyceride (TG) levels and CVD mortality according to LDL-C and age in a general population. Methods: From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 15,672,028 participants aged 18-99 who underwent routine health examinations were followed up for CVD mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD mortality were calculated using Cox models after adjusting for various confounders. Results: During a mean 8.8 years of follow-up, 105,174 individuals died from CVD. There was a clear log-linear association between TG and overall CVD mortality down to 50 mg/dL. Each two-fold increase in TG was associated with 1.10-fold (overall CVD), 1.22-fold (ischemic heart disease [IHD]), 1.24-fold (acute myocardial infarction [AMI]), and 1.10-fold (ischemic stroke) higher CVD mortality. Hemorrhagic stroke and heart failure were not associated with TG levels. The impact of HTG on CVD weakened but remained present in persons with LDL-C <100 mg/dL, in whom each two-fold higher TG was associated with 1.05-fold (overall CVD), 1.12-fold (IHD), 1.15-fold (AMI), and 1.05-fold (ischemic stroke) higher CVD mortality. The younger population (18 to 44 years) had stronger associations between TG levels and mortality from overall CVD, IHD, and AMI than the older population. Conclusions: HTG independently increases CVD mortality. There are residual risks of HTG in both young and older individuals with a low level of LDL-C. HTG management might be beneficial in individuals with well-controlled LDL-C.