Ability of the plasma concentration ratio of triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to identify increased cardio-metabolic risk in an east Asian population.
OBJECTIVE
The plasma concentration ratio of triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has identified increased cardio-metabolic risk and outcome in European populations. The goal of this study was to see if this ratio would also have clinical utility in identifying cardio-metabolic risk in an East Asian population.


METHODS
Measurements of various cardio-metabolic risk factors, including coronary calcium scores, were available on 12,166 apparently healthy Korean adults. Approximately 25% of men and women with the highest TG/HDL-C ratios were classified as being at high cardio-metabolic risk, and their risk factor profiles compared to the remainder of the population, as well as to individuals with the metabolic syndrome (MetS).


RESULTS
High cardio-metabolic risk (upper 25%) was defined as a TG/HDL-C ratio ≥3.5 (men) or ≥2.0 (women), and all cardio-metabolic risk factors measured, including coronary calcium scores, were significantly more adverse when compared to individuals beneath these cut-points. Although cardio-metabolic risk profiles appeared reasonably comparable in subjects identified by either a high TG/HDL-C or a diagnosis of MetS, use of the TG/HDL-C increased the numbers at high risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence that determination of the plasma TG/HDL-C concentration ratio provides a simple way to identify individual at increased cardio-metabolic risk has been extended to an East Asian population. The ability of an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio to accomplish this goal is comparable to that achieved using the more complicated MetS criteria.
Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kcmd.sung@samsung.com.
Ki-Chul
KC
Sung
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.
Gerald
G
Reaven
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.
Sun
S
Kim
D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides
Cardio-metabolic disease; Coronary calcium; HDL-cholesterol; TG/HDL-C ratio; Triglyceride