Hypertriglyceridemia and risk of coronary heart disease

Mounting evidence indicates that elevated triglyceride level is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). The role of triglyceride as a causative agent for CHD is less clear. Hyper-triglyceridemia is frequently associated with a set of complex metabolic abnormalities, including low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, small dense low-density lipoprotein, central obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Understanding the physiologic processes that lead to the metabolic disturbances associated with hypertriglyceridemia is essential in investigating the effect of triglyceride on CHD risk.