Association of triglycerides to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio with hypertension in Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that there is a close correlation between triglycerides to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) and hypertension, but there are differences between different researches. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between TG/HDL-C and hypertension in Chinese adults. METHODS: In this study, the open data for secondary analysis were obtained from DATADRYAD website (www.datadryad.org), and the raw data were from the Rich Healthcare Group Health. A total of 112 798 patients were enrolled in this study. The TG/HDL-C ratio was calculated as TG divided by HDL-C. Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between TG/HDL-C and hypertension. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were carried out to ensure the stability of the results. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding factors, the increase of TG/HDL-C was independently associated with the risk of hypertension (HR, 95% CI; 1.11,1.07 ~ 1.16). Compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), the risk of hypertension increased with the increase of TG/HDL-C (Q2, Q3 and Q4) [HR, 95% CI; 1.17 (1.06-1.29); 1.25 (1.13-1.38); 1.37 (1.24-1.52)]. Moreover, the relationship between TG/HDL-C and hypertension was not linear, but showed the saturation effect, and the slope of the curve decreases with the increase of TG/HDL-C. Results of subgroup analysis showed that there was a significant correlation among BMI (>=18.5 kg/m2, <24 kg/m2) and females. CONCLUSION: TG/HDL-C is positively associated with increased risk of hypertension in Chinese adults, especially women and normal BMI.