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Triglycerides may predict stroke risk

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Cholesterol testing may play an important role in assessing a person’s stroke risk, as a new study has found that higher triglyceride levels are associated with an increased chance of suffering from a cardiovascular event.

While it has been known for a while that higher cholesterol increases the risk of a stroke, most medical professionals have focused only on LDL, or "bad cholesterol." It was thought that this component was the strongest predictor of stroke risk. However, the news study from Copenhagen University researchers shows that triglycerides also play an important role.

For the study, the researchers followed the medical records of nearly 14,000 individuals for a period of 33 years. During this time, they took a variety of measurements from the participants.

The results of the study showed that individuals who had the highest cholesterol levels were nearly four times more likely to suffer from a stroke than those with lower cholesterol levels.

"Our findings suggest that levels of non-fasting triglycerides should be included in stroke prevention guidelines which currently focus on total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels," said Dr. Marianne Benn, who led the study.