Is hypertriglyceridaemia an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease?
There has been considerable controversy over whether elevated levels of triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridaemia, is an independent risk factor in coronary heart disease (CHD). Discrepancies between findings of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses are likely to be due to the strong inverse correlation between plasma triglyceride levels and high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Convincing evidence of a link between elevated triglyceride levels and CHD has been reported in a meta-analysis of patients whose plasma triglyceride levels were measured in the fasting state. Further evidence has come from several angiographic studies that have examined the relationship between plasma triglyceride levels and the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). It is critical that the threshold of placebo triglyceride, above which hypertriglyceridaemia is recognized, is set at an appropriate level. This will ensure that patients at potential risk of CHD receive appropriate lipid-lowering
