Elevated triglycerides and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as risk factors for stroke and myocardial infarction in an urban Japanese cohort

This prospective study was aimed at investigating the impact of elevated triglycerides (TG) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) on the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction in 5098 Japanese adults living in an urban population. During the 11.7-year follow-up period, 113 cases of MI and 180 cases of stroke occurred. After adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors, the hazard ratio for MI was 2.55 in the high TG/high non-HDL-C group compared with the low TG/low non-HDL-C group. While the hazard ratio for cerebral infarction was 1.63 in the high TG alone group, the risk of cerebral infraction was not significantly increased in the other groups. Thus, high serum levels of TG and non-HDL-C seem to be relevant modifiable targets for preventing cardiovascular disease in Japan.

Abstract

Keywords:
Cardiovascular risk – Cholesterol – Dyslipidaemia – Hyperlipidaemia – Hypertriglyceridaemia – Ischaemic stroke – Myocardial infarction – Stroke – Triglyceride