Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that elevated circulating levels of HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) could be linked to an increased mortality risk. However, to the best of our knowledge, the relationship between HDL-C and specific cardiovascular events has never been investigated in patients with hypertension. Methods: To fill this knowledge gap, we analyzed the relationship between HDL-C levels and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients within the Campania Salute Network in Southern Italy. Results: We studied 11 987 patients with hypertension, who were followed for 25 534 person-years. Our population was divided in 3 groups according to the HDL-C plasma levels: HDL-C<40 mg/dL (low HDL-C); HDL-C between 40 and 80 mg/dL (medium HDL-C); and HDL-C>80 mg/dL (high HDL-C). At the follow-up analysis, adjusting for potential confounders, we observed a total of 245 cardiovascular events with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events in the low HDL-C group and in the high HDL-C arm compared with the medium HDL-C group. The spline analysis revealed a nonlinear U-shaped association between HDL-C levels and cardiovascular outcomes. Interestingly, the increased cardiovascular risk associated with high HDL-C was not confirmed in female patients. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that there is a U-shaped association between HDL-C and the risk of cardiovascular events in male patients with hypertension.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2355-2363 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Hypertension |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2022 |
Keywords
- Cholesterol
- Dyslipidemias
- Heart disease risk factors
- Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Population
- Sex characteristics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine