Recent publications on Residual Risk

Evidence from a retrospective study, presented at the 2018 European Society of Cardiology Congress, Munich, Germany supports a possible link between elevated triglycerides and risk for peripheral artery revascularization. This longitudinal administrative claims analysis evaluated data from 46,362 adults (?45 years) in the Optum Research Database with diabetes and/or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who had a statin prescription filled in 2010. Subjects with triglycerides ? 1.69 mmol/L or ? 150 mg/dL (median 2.23 mmol/L) were matched with those with lower triglycerides levels (median 1.11 mmol/L). The key endpoint was peripheral artery revascularization.
 
At 5 years, the probability of peripheral artery revascularization was 6.9% in subjects with elevated triglycerides versus 4.9% in those with lower triglycerides. Compared with subjects with lower triglycerides, those with elevated triglycerides had a 37% higher rate of peripheral artery revascularization and a 26% higher risk for a first cardiovascular event. These higher rates of cardiovascular events translated to higher health care costs and a longer initial inpatient hospital stay compared with the group with lower triglycerides. These findings implicate elevated triglycerides as a factor to consider to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including interventions for peripheral artery disease.