Distribution of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants and their contribution to cardiovascular risk in the Mexican population.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In recent years, scientific interest in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) and remnant cholesterol has increased, focusing on the evidence that these lipoproteins are a causal factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Furthermore, a high remnant concentration (>38 mg/dL) has been associated with several non-cardiovascular risks. We aimed in this study to describe the percentile distribution of remnant cholesterol. Additionally, we evaluated the association between remnant cholesterol plasma concentration and epidemiologically relevant cardio-metabolic outcomes such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and ASCVD. METHODS: We analyzed data from 9,591 adults from the National Survey of Health and Nutrition (ENSANUT) 2018 with fasting blood samples and complete medical history questionnaires. We built multivariate models to evaluate the association between chronic diseases and blood remnant concentration. To compare our 2018-sub-sample against a population reference, we used the NHANES (2005-2014) publicly available datasets by ethnicity. RESULTS: Remnants were independently associated with cardiovascular risk, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. For all outcomes, the blood remnant concentration was a stronger predictor than LDL. At all deciles, the blood remnant concentration was higher in ENSANUT-2018. CONCLUSIONS: A remnant blood concentration above 38 mg/dL was highly prevalent among Mexicans. Remnants were significantly associated with a higher risk of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular risk. This association occurred independently of other lipid markers.