Non-Fasting Plasma Triglycerides Are Positively Associated with Diabetes Mortality in a Representative US Adult Population

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This study aimed to investigate whether non-fasting plasma triglycerides were associated with diabetes mortality. It included 7312 US adult participants. Diabetes mortality data were obtained via the linkage to National Death Index (NDI) records. Hazard ratios of non-fasting plasma triglycerides for diabetes mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, obesity, poverty–income ratio, education levels, physical activity, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking status, survey period, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and family history of diabetes. Among these participants, 1180 had diabetes. A total of 420 diabetes-caused deaths were recorded during a mean follow-up of 16.8 years. A 1-natural-log-unit increase in non-fasting plasma triglycerides was associated with a 41% higher diabetes mortality risk (hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–1.67). Participants with non-fasting plasma triglycerides in the highest quintile, versus those in the lowest quintile, had a 141% higher diabetes mortality risk (hazard ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.46–3.97). The positive association of non-fasting plasma triglycerides with diabetes mortality was independent of diabetes status at the baseline. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that non-fasting plasma triglycerides were positively associated with diabetes mortality, independent of diabetes status at baseline. Non-fasting triglycerides may be a therapeutic target for diabetes-related complications.