Abstract
Triglyceride (TG) has long been associated as a risk factor for coronary artery disease. A recent meta‐analysis of various epidemiologic studies has confirmed this link. An important issue is to assess further the appropriate cutpoints to classify desirable TG because recent data indicate that levels <200 mg/dl confer elevated risk. The dietary habits of present hunter‐gatherer populations reveal the impact of a Westernized diet on both TG and cholesterol and suggest that a desirable TG is <100 mg/dl. The epidemiologic and observational data in support of this concept are explored.
Keywords: coronary artery disease, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, risk factor, remnant lipoproteins, triglyceride
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