Enlarged waist combined with elevated triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype) and HDL-cholesterol in patients with heart failure

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The association of serum triglycerides plus waist circumference seems to be a good marker of cardiovascular risk and has been named the “hypertriglyceridemic waist” phenotype. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and HDL-cholesterol among patients with heart failure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study in a tertiary-level hospital in southern Brazil. METHODS: We included patients with heart failure aged > 40 years. Anthropometric assessment (weight, height, waist and hip circumferences) was performed; body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio were calculated and lipid measurements (serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides) were collected. In men and women, respectively, waist circumference ≥ 94 cm and ≥ 80 cm, and triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dl were considered abnormal and were used to identify the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype. Analyses of covariance were used to evaluate possible associations between levels of HDL-cholesterol and the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype, according to sex. RESULTS: 112 participants were included, of whom 62.5% were men. The mean age was 61.8 ± 12.3 years and the mean ejection fraction was 40.1 ± 14.7%. Men and woman presented mean HDL-cholesterol of 40.5 ± 14.6 and 40.9 ± 12.7 mg/dl, respectively. The prevalence of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype was 25%. There was a significant difference in mean HDL-cholesterol between men with and without the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (32.8 ± 14.2 versus 42.1 ± 13.7 mg/dl respectively; P = 0.04), even after adjustment for age, body mass index, type 2 diabetes mellitus, use of statins and heart failure etiology. CONCLUSIONS: The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype is significantly associated with lower HDL-cholesterol levels in men with heart failure