Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 81(2), 136–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.10.019 Dr. Mie Balling et al
Points
- There is no conclusive evidence linking increasing levels of low-density lipoprotein triglycerides to a greater danger of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder. However, a strong association occurs between both.
- Since the consequences of these lipid irregularities on the lifetime prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular illnesses may intensify over a person’s life, they should be considered risk factors in young people.
- According to this investigation, there is a strong correlation between greater LDL triglyceride levels and a higher risk of Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and each of its distinct sections. More research is required to determine the diagnostic significance of increased LDL triglyceride levels unrelated to LDL cholesterol levels.
- The recognized causal connection between LDL cholesterol and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well supported by research, yet, there needs to be more information on the link between LDL triglycerides and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Summary
The idea that higher LDL triglycerides are linked to an enhanced risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and that every cardiovascular disease constituent was investigated separately in this trial.
Researchers used the Copenhagen General Population Research to figure out how much LDL triglycerides 38,081 participants had by using a direct automated assay and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on 30,208 participants. The current outcomes of the trial and the past outcomes were combined in meta-analyses.
In the two cohorts, diagnoses of ASCVD were made in 872 and 5,766 people across median follow-ups of 3.0 and 9.2 years, respectively. In meta-analyses, the risk percentages for ASCVD, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and arterial disease were compared between people with higher odds of having LDL triglycerides and those in the lowest quartile.
In two prospective cohort studies that used meta-analyses of both old and new studies, high LDL triglycerides were linked to a higher risk of ASCVD and each of its parts.
All of the report’s outcomes were observational, and thus, no inferences about causality can be made from them. We consider two molecular pathways. First, when triglycerides are broken down, high amounts of LDL triglycerides may produce low-grade inflammation in the intima due to harmful free fatty acids. The second is that if your LDL triglyceride levels are high, it could mean that your cholesterol levels are still high.
Future genetic analyses are required to investigate the causative basis of the association across elevated plasma triglyceride levels, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and their associated components.
The incorporation of LDL triglycerides within fatty acid regulations as an extra-added indicator of elevated ASCVD incidence, together with LDL cholesterol, apo lipoprotein B, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, might be a medical utilization of the discovery of a significant connection between elevated amounts of LDL triglycerides and a higher likelihood of ASCVD and its sub-elements.
Link to the article: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.10.019
References Balling, M., Afzal, S., Davey Smith, G., Varbo, A., Langsted, A., Kamstrup, P. R., & Nordestgaard, B. G. (2023). Elevated LDL Triglycerides and Atherosclerotic Risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 81(2), 136–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.10.019
