Relation between age and gender differences in plasma triglyceride concentrations and coronary artery disease in Southern Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both genders in Turkey as well as other countries. The role of plasma triglycerides (TG) as a CAD risk factor has been controversial. We investigated the relation between age and gender differences in plasma TG and CAD in patients with angiographically proven CAD.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 937 patients (605 males and 332 females, aged between 32 and 82 years). The patients were divided into three age groups as < 45, 45-59 and > or = 60 years. Risk factors were considered as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking and family history. Hypertriglyceridemia was defined as TG concentration > 150 mg/dl (> 1.69 mmol/l).


RESULTS
Of the total, 608 had CAD. TG was an independent risk factor for CAD only in women (p < 0.05). There was also a positive correlation between TG concentrations and number of the diseased vessels only in women (p = 0.001, r = 0.2).


CONCLUSIONS
High TG concentrations increase CAD risk more in women than in men in Southern Turkey. Triglycerides should be taken into consideration as an important risk factor especially in women > 45 years of age.
Acartürk
Esmeray
E
Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Cukurova University, 01330 Adana, Turkey. kanarya@cu.edu.tr
Cayli
Murat
M
Akpinar
Onur
O
Attila
Gülen
G
Demir
Mesut
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides