Researchers at Baylor University say that a certain type of triglyceride could help to identify patients who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Specifically, Baylor researchers studied remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C) and low-density lipoprotein triglycerides (LDL-TG). The team added RLP-C and LDL-TG levels to the existing Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, which is used to investigate causes of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in arteries. The triglyceride information was part of the ARIC’s Pooled Cohort Equation, described as a 10-yar risk prediction tool.
When the new RLP-C and LDL-TG information was added, researchers found no evidence that RLP-C levels were associated with heightened risk of cardiovascular disease.
But when LDL-TG levels were added to the other information, the Baylor team discovered that LDL-TG levels predicted both heart attack and stroke risk.
Dr. Anum Saeed, a clinical postdoctoral fellow in cardiovascular disease prevention at Baylor, said, “Usually lipid measurements are not associated with risk for stroke, so this is the first time we are seeing LDL-TG have a positive association on predicting the risk of both heart attack and stroke. This was a new finding; we normally don’t check these levels, but our results are showing us that this appears to be the best predictor of heart attack and stroke.”
This was an observational study, and Saeed said more research would be required to determine whether lowering a patient’s LDL-TG level could lower risks for heart attack and stroke.
The findings were published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
