In the Prospective Cardiovascular Munster Study (PROCAM),¹ triglyceride levels > 200 mg/dL doubled the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in patients with elevated ratios (> 5.0) of low- to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C). Most patients with LDL-C/HDL-C values > 5.0 had HDL-C levels < 39 mg/dL. These data suggest that hypertriglyceridemic patients with reduced HDL-C levels are at particularly high risk of CHD.

Reference

1. Assmann G, Schulte H. Relation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides to incidence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (the PROCAM experience). Prospective Cardiovascular Munster study. Am J Cardiol. 1992;70:733–737.