Fasting serum triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in patients intended to be treated for dyslipidemia

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Authors: Genovefa D Kolovou, Katherine Anagnostopoulou, Nektarios D Pilatis, Klelia D Salpea, Ioannis S Hoursalas, Ilias Petropoulos, Helen I Bilianou, Dennis V Cokkinos

Published Date January 2005 Volume 2005:1(2) Pages 155 - 161

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S

Genovefa D Kolovou¹, Katherine Anagnostopoulou¹, Nektarios D Pilatis¹, Klelia D Salpea¹, Ioannis S Hoursalas¹, Ilias Petropoulos¹, Helen I Bilianou², Dennis V Cokkinos¹

¹Cardiology Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece; ²Cardiology Department, Tzanio State Hospital, Piraeus, Greece

Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the influence of serum triglycerides (TG) on other plasma lipids in patients to be treated for dyslipidemia.

Methodology: Lipid profiles of a cohort of 801 patients (487 males and 314 females) aged 57 ± 9 years (mean ± SD) were evaluated. Patients were stratified according to their plasma lipid levels. They were divided into various groups on the basis of serum TG (≥ 150 or < 150 mg/dL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (≥ 40 or < 40 mg/dL).

Results: Patients with TG ≥ 150 mg/dL had a higher total cholesterol and lower HDL-C levels compared with those with TG < 150 mg/dL, (p < 0.001). Patients with HDL-C < 40 mg/dL had a lower serum total cholesterol and higher TG compared with those with HDL-C ≥ 40 mg/dL (p = 0.011 and p < 0.0001, respectively). In all patients as well as in the subgroups, an inverse correlation between TG and HDL-C was found (r = –0.377, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Although, the metabolic pathway for TG and HDL-C is closely linked, an inverse correlation between TG and HDL-C levels seems to exist in the entire sampled population. This correlation also appears to persist in fasting patients with low levels of TG.

Keywords: triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, dyslipidemia