Optimal Cut-off Points of Triglycerides for Cardiovascular Disease Prediction in Japanese Population

Previous studies have suggested that elevated triglyceride (TG) levels in fasting and nonfasting state were risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated TG levels are caused by an increase in TG-rich lipoproteins, such as remnant lipoproteins and small dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of which particles are small enough to penetrate the arterial intima, and the contained cholesterol is easily accumulated in the arterial wall. TG levels gradually increase after a meal, reaching a peak 4 - 6 hours later and decreasing to the nonfasting TG levels 8 - 10 hours after a meal. Elevated levels of nonfasting TG strongly reflect the increase in remnant lipoprotein. Accordingly, nonfasting TG could be a better predictor of CVD. Nowadays, some guidelines recommend cut-off points of TG for CVD risk prediction, and fasting TG cut-off points of 150 mg/dL or higher are proposed widely by guidelines, including the Japan Atherosclerosis Society (JAS) Guidelines.