Fasting triglycerides are positively associated with cardiovascular mortality risk in people with diabetes.

This article investigates the association between fasting triglyceride levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in US adults, focusing on differences between individuals with and without diabetes. Using data from 26,570 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 1988 to 2014, the study found that elevated fasting triglycerides (≥200 mg/dL) were significantly associated with increased CVD mortality risk in people with diabetes but not in those without diabetes. This association persisted after adjusting for multiple confounders and was independent of prior CVD diagnosis. The authors propose a diabetes-induced sensitization hypothesis, suggesting that impaired insulin secretion in diabetes amplifies the harmful effects of high triglycerides on CVD risk, and recommend that future clinical trials on triglyceride-lowering therapies consider including patients with both diabetes and hypertriglyceridaemia.