Relationship Between the Serum Levels of Nonfasting Triglyceride and the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death in both men and women around the world. Studies have shown that hypertriglyceridemia is an important risk factor for such diseases. While triglyceride levels after a meal increase, the relationship between postprandial triglyceride levels and the severity of coronary artery disease is still unproven. This study aimed to determine the plasma levels of triglyceride after a meal in patients with different types of coronary heart disease. Method: In this epidemiological study, 416 patients from among those referred to Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz were selected based on the results of angiography and were classified to type 1 to 4 groups comprising 69, 99, 83, and 165 individuals respectively, and their age and sex were recorded. From all the individuals, a blood sample was taken 2 hours after a meal. The data were analyzed using the Tukey test. Results: The mean age of the patients was 58.4 years. There was only a significant difference between the patients with type 1 (normal patients) and those with type 4 (with severe coronary artery disease) (142 ± 67.1 mg/dL vs 188 ± 99.3 mg/dL; P < 0.001). Furthermore, no significant difference in the mean triglyceride level was observed in both sexes between the different types (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results showed that the mean triglyceride serum level after a meal in our patients with severe coronary artery disease (type 4) was higher than that in the other groups. Hypertriglyceridemia after a meal may be a major factor in coronary heart disease.