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Serum triglyceride levels in relation to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG-HDL) ratios as an efficient tool to estimate the risk of sleep apnea syndrome in non-overweight Japanese men

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Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Objectives

Several studies have reported the association between sleep apnea syndrome and insulin resistance. Being overweight is known risk factor both for sleep apnea syndrome and insulin resistance. However, no studies have reported on the association between serum triglyceride levels in relation to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG-HDL) ratios (a marker of insulin resistance) and sleep apnea syndrome accounting for body mass index (BMI) status.

Methods

Subjects for the present cross-sectional study consisted of 1,528 men aged 30–69 years undergoing pulse oximetry at a sleep disorders clinic for sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep apnea syndrome was diagnosed as a 3 % oxygen desaturation index (ODI) of ≥15 events/h.

Results

Among study participants, 241 men were diagnosed with sleep apnea syndrome. Independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, TG-HDL was significantly positively associated with sleep apnea syndrome in participants with a BMI <25 kg/m2, but not in participants with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2. The multivariable adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) of sleep apnea syndrome per Log TG-HDL was 2.03 (95 % CI: 1.36–3.03) for a BMI <25 kg/m2 and 1.23 (95 % CI: 0.89–1.70) for a BMI ≥25 kg/m2.

Conclusions

An independent positive association between TG-HDL levels and risk of sleep apnea syndrome was observed in participants with a BMI of <25 kg/m2, but not in participants with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2. TG-HDL levels could be an efficient tool to estimate the risk of sleep apnea syndrome in non-overweight Japanese men.

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Acknowledgments

The research did not receive financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan

    Yuji Shimizu, Mako Nagayoshi, Koichiro Kadota & Takahiro Maeda

  2. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Inoue Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan

    Hiroyuki Yoshimine & Kensuke Takahashi

  3. Shunkaikai, Inoue Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan

    Kiyohiro Izumino & Kenichiro Inoue

  4. Department of Island and Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan

    Takahiro Maeda

Authors
  1. Yuji Shimizu
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  2. Hiroyuki Yoshimine
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  3. Mako Nagayoshi
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  4. Koichiro Kadota
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  5. Kensuke Takahashi
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  6. Kiyohiro Izumino
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  7. Kenichiro Inoue
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  8. Takahiro Maeda
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Correspondence to Yuji Shimizu.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Human and animal rights and informed consent

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Ethics Committee for Human Use of Nagasaki University obtained ethical approval.

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Shimizu, Y., Yoshimine, H., Nagayoshi, M. et al. Serum triglyceride levels in relation to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG-HDL) ratios as an efficient tool to estimate the risk of sleep apnea syndrome in non-overweight Japanese men. Environ Health Prev Med 21, 321–326 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-016-0532-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-016-0532-4

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