title: Usefulness of the high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio to identify cardiometabolic risk factors and preclinical signs of organ damage in outpatient children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol (TG-to-HDL-C) ratio is associated with cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors and preclinical signs of organ damage in an outpatient population of white children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 884 subjects (aged 6-16 years), of whom 206 (23%) were normal weight, 135 (15%) were overweight, and 543 (61%) were obese. Biochemical variables were analyzed in the whole sample, whereas homocysteine and left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were evaluated in 536 and 258 children, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of pubertal children (P < 0.001), as well as measurements of BMI, waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, white blood cell count, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.0001, for all), creatinine (P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.02), increased from the lowest to the highest tertile of the TG-to-HDL-C ratio. Age, sex, homocysteine, and glomerular filtration rate did not change. Moreover, interventricular septum thickness, relative wall thickness, and LV mass index (P = 0.01 to P < 0.0001) increased across tertiles of the TG-to-HDL-C ratio. Children with a TG-to-HDL-C ratio ≥2.0 showed a two- to threefold higher risk of elevated ALT levels and concentric LV hypertrophy than those with a TG-to-HDL-C ratio <2.0, independent of confounding factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high TG-to-HDL-C ratio is associated with several CMR factors and preclinical signs of liver and cardiac abnormalities in the outpatient, white pediatric population. Thus, a TG-to-HDL-C ratio ≥2.0 may be useful in clinical practice to detect children with a worsened CMR profile who need monitoring to prevent cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, S. Maria delle Grazie, Pozzuoli Hospital, Naples, Italy. procolodibonito@alice.it
authors: Procolo
authors: P
authors: Di Bonito
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Moio
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Scilla
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Cavuto
authors: Gerolamo
authors: G
authors: Sibilio
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Sanguigno
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Forziato
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Saitta
authors: Maria Rosaria
authors: MR
authors: Iardino
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Di Carluccio
authors: Brunella
authors: B
authors: Capaldo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D010045:Outpatients; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides