Skip to main content
Log in

The importance of triglycerides: Results from the prospective cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

  • Haeeostatic function and cardiovascular disease
  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the PROCAM study hypertriglyceridaemia was much more common among men (18.6%) than women (4.2%). Prevalence increased with age in women, but remained nearly constant at about 20% in men aged 35 years or more.

In a multiple regression analysis a strong negative correlation between triglycerides and HDL cholesterol was found. A positive relationship was observed with cholesterol, blood glucose, factor VIIc, and PAI-1 in both sexes. Only in men, triglycerides are positively correlated with Apo A-1, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Postmenopausal women showed higher triglyceride levels than premenopausal women. No independent relationships were observed to age, blood pressure, Lp(a), Apo A-II, Apo B, AT-III, protein C, fibrinogen, and oral contraceptives.

A longitudinal analysis of data from 4474 male PROCAM participants aged 40–64 years with a follow-up of 4 years did not identify triglycerides as an independent risk factor, but the data suggest hypertriglyceridaemia is an additional risk factor for CHD, when excessive triglycerides coincide with a high ratio of plasma cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol and with low HDL-cholesterol values.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AbbotR.D. andCarrolR. (1984): Interpreting multiple logistic regression coefficients in prospective observational studies - Am. J. Epidemiol.119: 830–836.

    Google Scholar 

  2. AbergH.,LithellH.,SelinusI. andHedstrandH. (1985): Serum triglycerides are a risk factor for myocardial infarction but not for angina pectoris. Results from a 10-year follow-up of Uppsala Primary Preventive Study - Atherosclerosis54: 89–97.

    Google Scholar 

  3. AssmannG.,OberwittlerW.,SchulteH., et al. (1980): Prädiktion und Früherkennung der koronaren Herzkrankheit - Internist.21: 446–459.

    Google Scholar 

  4. AssmannG. andSchulteH. (1986): Procam-Studie -Panscientia Verlag, Hedingen Zürich.

    Google Scholar 

  5. AssmannG. andSchulteH. (1988): The Prospective Cardiovascular Munster (PROCAM) study: Prevalence of hyperlipidemia in persons with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus and the relationship to coronary heart disease - Am. Heart J.116: 1713–1724.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Barrett-ConnorE. andKhawK.T. (1986): Borderline fasting hypertriglyceridemia. Absence of excess risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in healthy men without hypercholesterolemia - Prev. Med.16: 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  7. BenfanteR.J.,ReedD.M.,MacLeanC.J. andYanoK. (1989): Risk factors in middle age that predict early and late onset of coronary heart disease. - J. Clin. Epidemiol.42: 95–104.

    Google Scholar 

  8. BrownD.F.,KinchS.H. andDoyleJ.T. (1965): Serum triglycerides in health and in ischemic heart disease -N. Engl. J. Med.273: 947–952.

    Google Scholar 

  9. CambienF.,JacquesonA.,RichardJ.L., et al. (1986): Is the level of serum triglyceride a significant predictor of coronary death in “normocholesterolemic” subjects? The Paris prospective Study - Am. J. Epidemiol.124: 624–632.

    Google Scholar 

  10. CarlsonL.A. andBottigerL.E. (1985): Risk factors for ischemic heart disease in men and women. Results of the 19-year follow-up of the Stockholm Prospective Study - Acta Med. Scand.218: 207–211.

    Google Scholar 

  11. CastelliW.P. (1986): The triglyceride issue: A view from Framingham - Am. Heart J.112: 432–437.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Consensus Conference (1984): Treatment of Hyper-triglyceridaemia- JAMA251: 1196–1200.

    Google Scholar 

  13. CriquiM.H.,HeissG.,CohnR., et al. (1987): Triglycerides and coronary heart disease mortality. The Lipid Research Clinics Follow-up Study - CVD Dyslipidemiology Newsletter41: 13.

    Google Scholar 

  14. GlynnR.J.,RosnerB. andSilbertJ.E. (1982): Changes in cholesterol and triglyceride as predictors of ischemic heart disease - Circulation66: 724–731.

    Google Scholar 

  15. HeydenS.,HeissG.,HamesC.G. andBartelA.G. (1980): Fasting triglycerides as predictors of total and CHD mortality in Evans county, Georgia - J. Chronic Dis.33: 275–282.

    Google Scholar 

  16. HulleySB.,RosenmanR.H.,BawolR.D., et al. (1980): Epidemiology as a guide to clinical decisions. The association between triglyceride and coronary hearty disease - N. Engl. J. Med.302: 1383–1389.

    Google Scholar 

  17. PelkonenR.,NikkilaE.A.,KoskinenS., et al. (1977): Association of serum lipids and obesity with cardiovascular mortality - Br. Med. J.2: 1185–1187.

    Google Scholar 

  18. PeterssonB.,TrellE. andHoodB. (1984): Premature death and associated risk factors in urban middle-aged men - Am. J. Med.77: 418–426.

    Google Scholar 

  19. PocockS.J.,SharperA.G. andPhillipsA.N. (1989): Concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and total cholesterol in ischaemic heart disease - Br. Med. J.298: 998–1002.

    Google Scholar 

  20. SalonenJ. andPuskaP., (1983): Relation of serum cholesterol and triglycerides to the risk of acute myocardial infarction, stroke and death in Eastern Finnish male popultion - Int. J. Epidemiol.12: 26–31.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Study Group, European Atherosclerosis Society (1987): Strategies for the Prevention of coronary heart disease: A policy statement of the European Atherosclerosis Society - Eur. Heart. J.8: 77–88.

    Google Scholar 

  22. TibblinG. andCramerK. (1963): Serum lipids during the course of an acute myocardial infarction and one year afterwards - Acta Med. Scand.174: 451–455.

    Google Scholar 

  23. TverdalA.,FossO.P.,LerenP., et al. (1989): Serum triglycerides as an independent risk factor for death from coronary heart disease in middle-aged Norwegian men - Am. J. Epidemiol.129: 458–465.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Corresponding author

Institut fur Arteriosklerose - forschung an der Universität Munster - Domagkstraße 3 D-4400 Münster - Germany

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Assmann, G., Schulte, H. The importance of triglycerides: Results from the prospective cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study. Eur J Epidemiol 8 (Suppl 1), 99–103 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145359

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145359

Key words

Navigation