title: Influence of triglycerides on other plasma lipids in middle-aged men intended for hypolipidaemic treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present investigation aimed to evaluate the influence of serum triglycerides (TG) on other plasma lipids in male patients less than 65 years of age intended for hypolipidaemic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lipid profiles of a cohort of 412 dyslipidaemic male patients aged 53.4 +/- 7.7 years (mean +/- standard deviation) were evaluated. Patients were stratified in accordance with their fasting plasma lipid levels. They were divided into multiple groups on the basis of serum TG (> or = 150 or < 150 mg/dl) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C > or = 40 or < 40 mg/dl).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with TG > or = 150 mg/dl had higher total cholesterol and lower HDL-C levels compared with those with TG < 150 mg/dl (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). Patients with HDL-C < 40 mg/dl had similar total cholesterol levels and higher TG levels compared to those with HDL-C > or = 40 mg/dl (p < 0.001). In all patients, an inverse correlation between TG and HDL-C was found (r = -0.286, p < 0.001). Additionally, HDL-C levels were inversely correlated with the TG concentration in patients with TG < 150 mg/dl (r = -0.135, p = 0.042) and TG > or = 150 mg/dl (r = -0.188, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An inverse correlation between TG and HDL-C levels seems to exist in the sampled population, revealing a close link between the metabolic pathways for TG and HDL-C. This inverse correlation appears to persist even in patients with low fasting TG levels.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. genkolovou@mail.gr
authors.forename: Genovefa D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kolovou
authors.forename: Katherine K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Anagnostopoulou
authors.forename: Klelia D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Salpea
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Hoursalas
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petropoulos
authors.forename: Helen I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Bilianou
authors.forename: Dimitris S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Damaskos
authors.forename: Vasiliki N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Giannakopoulou
authors.forename: Dennis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cokkinos
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol