title: Differences in the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio between Palestinian and Israeli adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate differences in the triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL), thought to be a proxy measure of insulin resistance, between Palestinian and Israeli adults in view of the greater incidence of coronary heart disease and high prevalence of diabetes in Palestinian Arabs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based observational prevalence study of cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors in Jerusalem. Participants (968 Palestinians, 707 Israelis, sampled at ages 25-74 years) underwent fasting and 2 h post-75 g oral challenge plasma glucose determinations. Metabolic risk was assessed using the surrogate index TG/HDL. Sex-specific comparisons were stratified by categories of body mass index and sex-specific waist circumference quartiles, adjusted by regression for age, glucose tolerance status and use of statins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of overweight and obesity was substantially larger in Palestinians (p = 0.005). Prevalence of diabetes was 2.4 and 4 fold higher among Palestinian men and women, respectively (p<0.001). Adjusted TG/HDL was higher in Palestinians than Israelis across BMI and waist circumference categories (p<0.001 for both). Higher TG/HDL in Palestinians persisted in analyses restricted to participants with normal glucose tolerance and off statins. Notably, higher TG/HDL among Palestinians prevailed at a young age (25-44 years) and in normal weight individuals of both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Palestinians have a higher TG/HDL ratio than Israelis. Notably, this is evident also in young, healthy and normal weight participants. These findings indicate the need to study the determinants of this biomarker and other measures of insulin resistance in urban Arab populations and to focus research attention on earlier ages: childhood and prenatal stages of development.
authors: From the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Ram
authors: R
authors: Weiss
authors: St Joseph Hospital, East Jerusalem and Department of Cardiology, Hadassah University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.
authors: Hisham
authors: H
authors: Nassar
authors: From the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Ronit
authors: R
authors: Sinnreich
authors: From the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Jeremy D
authors: JD
authors: Kark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018912:Arabs; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides
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