Study title and authors:
Fasting Triglycerides, High-Density Lipoprotein, and Risk of Myocardial Infarction
J. Michael Gaziano, MD, MPH; Charles H. Hennekens, MD, DrPH; Christopher J. O'Donnell, MD, MPH; Jan L. Breslow, MD; ; Julie E. Buring, ScD
Division of Preventive Medicine (J.M.G., C.H.H., J.E.B.) and the Cardiovascular Division (J.M.G.), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
The paper can be accessed at:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/8/2520
The study examined the interrelationships of triglyceride and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) with the risk of heart attack among 340 subjects (aged under 76) who had suffered a heart attack and an equal number of age-, sex-, and community-matched control subjects.
The study found:
(a) Those with the highest triglycerides had almost 7 times the risk of a heart attack compared to those with the lowest triglycerides.
(b) Those with the highest HDL cholesterol levels were somewhat protected from a heart attack compared to those with the lowest HDL cholesterol levels.
The paper shows that a high triglyceride level is associated with heart disease. High triglyceride levels may be caused by carbohydrate consumption. See here
Another finding is that high HDL cholesterol
levels appear to give protection from heart disease. A high fat diet raises HDL cholesterol levels. See here and here
