NONFASTING SERUM TRIGLYCERIDE CONCENTRATION AND MORTALITY FROM CORONARY HEART-DISEASE AND ANY CAUSE IN MIDDLE-AGED NORWEGIAN WOMEN

Objective-To study the association between non-fasting serum triglycer ide concentrations and mortality in women from coronary and cardiovasc ular disease and all causes. Design-Follow up by ambulatory teams of m en and women who underwent cardiovascular screening for a mean of 14.6 years. Setting-National health screening service in Norway. Subjects- 25 058 men and 24 535 women aged 35-49 years. Main outcome measure-Pre dictive value of non-fasting serum triglyceride concentrations. Result s-At initial screening total serum cholesterol concentration, serum tr iglyceride concentration, blood pressure, height, and weight were meas ured, and self reported information about smoking habits, physical act ivity, and time since last meal were recorded. During subsequent follo w up 108 women died from coronary heart disease, 238 from cardiovascul ar diseases, and 931 from all causes. In women mortality increased ste adily with increasing triglyceride concentration for all three causes of death. With the proportional hazards model and adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol concentration, time since l ast meal, and number of cigarettes a day the relative risk between tri glyceride concentration greater-than-or-equal-to 3.5 mmol/l and <1.5 m mol/l was 4.7 (95% confidence interval 2.5 to 8.9) for deaths from cor onary heart disease, 3.0 (1.9 to 4.8) for deaths from cardiovascular d isease, 2.3 (1.8 to 2.9) for total deaths in all women. Conclusions-A raised non-fasting concentration of triglycerides is an independent ri sk factor for mortality from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular di sease, and any cause mortality among middle aged Norwegian women in co ntrast to what is seen in men.