Hypertriglyceridemia Is Not a Predictor of Long-Term All Cause Mortality in Highrisk U.S. Veterans

Background
The relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and all-cause mortality is not clear. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between triglycerides and long-term all-cause mortality in high-risk U.S. Veterans.
Methods
In this retrospective study, 2000 consecutive U.S. Veterans who presented for coronary angiography from 2001 to 2008 were included. 114 Veterans were excluded due to missing data. The relationship of serum triglyceride levels and all-cause mortality rate was analyzed after a mean follow-up period of 125 months + 76 months.
Results
Baseline characteristics are listed in Table 1. There was no significant association between triglyceride (TG) levels and mortality based on three statistical analyses: (1) TG alone as a continuous variable in a logistic regression model (p-value=0.15); (2) TG as a continuous variable with Age and LDL being adjusted in the logistic regression model (p-value=0.29); and (3) comparing mortality rates between the normal triglyceride group (TG < 150 mg/dL) and the high triglyceride group (TG > 150 mg/dL) (mortality of 77% vs 74% respectively with p-value=0.13).
Conclusion
In this retrospective study, we did not find significant association between serum triglyceride levels and long-term all-cause mortality in high-risk U.S. Veterans. Further studies are needed to establish a conclusive relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and all-cause mortality.