Hypertriglyceridaemic waist phenotype criteria and prevalent metabolic triad in women.

BACKGROUND

To assess the metabolic profile and the prevalence of the metabolic triad (i.e. hyperinsulinaemia, hyperapobetalipoproteinaemia, and decreased low-density lipoprotein particle size) in women characterized by the hypertriglyceridaemic waist (HTGW) phenotype and to identify cut-off values for triglycerides and waist circumference, effectively discriminating women with the metabolic triad.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty-eight female subjects without any history of vascular disease or diabetes mellitus attending an Outpatient Lipid Clinic setting at the University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece were studied.

RESULTS

Currently available HTGW criteria for women were unable to detect any significant differences in the metabolic profile either in the pre- or post-menopausal women, and proved similar in terms of sensitivity and specificity in identifying women with the metabolic triad. A cut-off value of 1.26 mmol/L for triglycerides and 84.5 cm for waist circumference were determined by Receiver-operating Curve evaluation. Women with both triglycerides and waist circumference above these thresholds had four-fold higher odds of presenting with the metabolic triad compared with women with non-HTGW phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

A HTGW phenotype definition of 1.26 mmol/L for triglycerides and 84.5 cm for waist circumference may effectively identify Mediterranean women with the atherogenic metabolic triad. Whether these criteria are also associated with a higher incidence of vascular disease and/or new-onset diabetes in women remains to be investigated.