Table I.
Baseline Characteristics by TG/HDL-C* Quartile
| Characteristic | All n= 554 | Quartile 1 0.35–<1.4 n=138 | Quartile 2 1.4–<2.2 n=138 | Quartile 3 2.2–<3.66 n=138 | Quartile 4 3.66–18.4 n=140 | p (Trend) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 554 | 56.4±10.9 | 56.6±11.6 | 57.8±10.9 | 56.8±11.2 | 0.56 |
| African American (%) | 554 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 0.0001 |
| History of smoking (%) | 554 | 54 | 43 | 46 | 59 | 0.34 |
| History of hypertension (%) | 552 | 49 | 50 | 61 | 59 | 0.02 |
| History of dyslipidemia (%) | 514 | 43 | 35 | 47 | 60 | 0.0009 |
| Body mass index (mg/kg/m2) | 548 | 28.6±6.6 | 29.2±6.8 | 30.9±7.1 | 30.1±5.8 | 0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 486 | 87.6±18.3 | 90.2±16.8 | 96.5±17.8 | 97.0±15.7 | <.0001 |
| (inches) | 34.5±7.2 | 35.5±6.6 | 38.0±7.0 | 38.2±6.2 | ||
| Metabolic syndrome (%) | 549 | 12 | 20 | 50 | 85 | <.0001 |
| Diabetes (%) | 554 | 20 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 0.01 |
| Postmenopausal (%) | 550 | 73 | 67 | 73 | 71 | 0.99 |
| Lipid Measures | ||||||
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 554 | 4.78±0.96 | 4.86±1.03 | 5.20±1.22 | 5.38±1.27 | <.0001 |
| (mg/dL) | 185±37 | 188±40 | 201±47 | 208±49 | ||
| HDL-C (mmol/L) | 554 | 1.66±0.34 | 1.42±0.26 | 1.34±0.26 | 1.16±0.23 | <.0001 |
| (mg/dL) | 64±13 | 55±10 | 52±10 | 45±9 | ||
| LDL-C (mmol/L) | 491 | 2.79±0.83 | 2.95±0.96 | 3.05±1.11 | 3.00±1.14 | 0.12 |
| (mg/dL) | 108±32 | 114±37 | 118±43 | 116±44 | ||
| No LDL-C (%)* | 554 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | <.0001 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 554 | 0.70±0.20 | 1.08±0.20 | 1.67±0.33 | 2.97±1.16 | <.0001 |
| (mg/dL) | 62±18 | 96±18 | 148±29 | 263±103 | ||
| Non-HDL-C (mmol/L) | 554 | 3.10±0.83 | 3.44±0.96 | 3.83±1.14 | 4.22±1.24 | <.0001 |
| (mg/dL) | 120±32 | 133±37 | 148±44 | 163±48 | ||
| TG/HDL-C | 554 | 1.0±0.2 | 1.8±0.2 | 2.8±0.4 | 5.9±2.4 | - |
| Coronary artery disease Measures | ||||||
| Coronary artery disease Severity Score | 554 | 9.9±10.6 | 11.0±11.6 | 11.8±12.5 | 12.9±12.1 | 0.004 |
| Coronary artery disease (50% or greater stenosis) (%) | 554 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 35 | 0.006 |
| Coronary artery disease (70% stenosis) (%) | 554 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 0.04 |
| Medications | ||||||
| Aspirin (%) | 552 | 50 | 52 | 58 | 48 | 0.91 |
| Statins (%) | 554 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 24 | 0.14 |
| Other lipid lowering drugs (%) | 554 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0.12 |
| Any lipid lowering drug (%) | 554 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 28 | 0.053 |
| ACE-I or ARB (%) | 553 | 26 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 0.95 |
| Beta Blockers (%) | 553 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 36 | 0.31 |
| Calcium antagonists (%) | 554 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 0.82 |
| Diuretics (%) | 554 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 0.06 |
| Vasodilators (%) | 553 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 0.50 |
| Any antihypertensive drug (%) | 554 | 38 | 39 | 48 | 45 | 0.10 |
| Current postmenopausal hormone therapy (%) | 547 | 40 | 41 | 45 | 38 | 0.84 |
| Outcomes | ||||||
| Cardiovascular events (%) | 554 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 15.2 | 21.4 | 0.01 |
| All cause mortality (%) | 554 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 7.2 | 9.3 | 0.02 |
The ratio of TG/HDL-C is expressed with TG and HDL-C in mg/dL. The conversion for cholesterol is 1 mg/dL = 0.02586 mmol/L. The conversion for TG is 1 mg/dL = 0.01129 mmol/L. To convert to a TG/HDL-C ratio that reflects TG and HDL-C measurements in mmol/L, please multiply the above ratios by 0.4366.
LDL cholesterol was calculated by the Friedewald formula and is thus not available in women with hypertriglyceridemia; CRP was only measured in a subset of women.
Abbreviations: ACE = angiotensin converting enzymes; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; coronary artery disease = coronary artery disease; HDL-C = high density lipoprotein cholesterol; HRT= postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy; LDL-C = low density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG = triglycerides