Triglycerides and heart plaque in people with diabetes
Triglyceride levels predict high-risk coronary artery plaque progression in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes and normal LDL cholesterol
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Triglyceride changes predicted plaque progression even when LDL cholesterol was already well-controlled.
Most guidelines focus on LDL as the primary lipid target. This finding suggests that even with 'perfect' LDL, rising triglycerides may still drive heart disease in diabetics — a shift from conventional thinking.
Practical Takeaways
Monitor triglyceride levels regularly if you have type 2 diabetes, even if your LDL cholesterol is under control.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Triglyceride changes predicted plaque progression even when LDL cholesterol was already well-controlled.
Most guidelines focus on LDL as the primary lipid target. This finding suggests that even with 'perfect' LDL, rising triglycerides may still drive heart disease in diabetics — a shift from conventional thinking.
Practical Takeaways
Monitor triglyceride levels regularly if you have type 2 diabetes, even if your LDL cholesterol is under control.
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal
Year
2023
Authors
L. Heinsen, G. Pararajasingam, T. Andersen, S. Auscher, H. Sheta, J. Lambrechtsen, K. Egstrup
Related Content
Claims (4)
Even if someone with type 2 diabetes has good cholesterol levels, high triglycerides might still mean their heart plaque is getting worse in dangerous ways.
If you have type 2 diabetes but feel fine and your 'bad' cholesterol is under control, having higher triglycerides might still be quietly making your heart artery plaques more dangerous over time.
If someone with type 2 diabetes has stable 'bad' cholesterol but their triglycerides go up over a year, they’re more likely to develop dangerous plaque buildup in their heart arteries—even if everything else looks okay.
If you have type 2 diabetes but no symptoms and your 'bad' cholesterol is under control, what happens to your heart artery plaque over a year might depend on your triglycerides: going up could mean more plaque, while going down could mean less.