Normal Ranges of Non-fasting Triglycerides in Healthy Dutch Males and Females

Background: Increased triglycerides (TG) are associated with atherosclerosis. We determined free-living non-fasting TG concentrations in healthy Dutch subjects.

Methods: Capillary TG (TGc) was self-measured by 109 males and 104 females during 3 days, on six fixed time-points each day; fasting, before and 3 h after lunch, before and 3 h after dinner and at bedtime. Daylong TGc-profiles were calculated as area under the mean TGc-curve (TGc-AUC). Reference values for "high" and "normal" daylong TGc concentrations were calculated as the 95th and 75th percentiles, respectively.

Results: Fasting TGc were higher in males compared with females (1.41+/-0.75 versus 1.27+/-0.59 mmol/l), resulting in higher TGc-AUC (25.4+/-10.4 versus 20.6+/-9.8 mmol h/l). The highest TGc-concentrations were found in the evening. The majority of subjects (95%) had TGc during the evening below 4.6 mmol/l in males and below 3.7 mmol/l in females. Seventy-five percent of the subjects had TGc during the evening below 2.9 mmol/l in males and below 2.2 mmol/l in females. During the day (with exclusion of post-dinner TGc), 95% of the subjects had TGc below 3.7 mmol/l in males and below 3.6 mmol/l in females. Finally, 75% of the subjects had TGc during the day below 2.5 mmol/l in males and 1.7 mmol/l in females.

Conclusions: The present data may help to delineate normal ranges of non-fasting TG and could be used to detect groups at risk for atherosclerosis on the basis of a disturbed TG metabolism.