Korean J Fam Pract.  2022 Jun;12(3):167-172. 10.21215/kjfp.2022.12.3.167.

Association between Serum Folic Acid Level and the Risk of Hypertriglyceridemia in Korean Female: Analysis Based on 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Lee JY
• Lee DC
• Yoo NY
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 2530658
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2022.12.3.167

Abstract

Background
Serum folic acid is associated with atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia. However, the association between folic acid and triglycerides is controversial. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the association between serum folic acid levels and hypertriglyceridemia risk in Korean female.
Methods
We analyzed data of 2,823 female from the 2016–2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Serum folic acid levels were grouped into quartiles, and hypertriglyceridemia was defined as a serum triglyceride level ≥200 mg/dL. We examined the association between quartile-categorized serum folic acid levels and hypertriglyceridemia using multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for age, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, current smoking status, alcohol intake, aerobic exercise, and body mass index.
Results
In the multivariate model, the odds ratio for hypertriglyceridemia in the third quartile (8.00–10.80 ng/mL) of serum folic acid levels was significantly lower than that in the first quartile (reference: <5.70 ng/mL).
Conclusion
Higher serum folic acid levels were associated with a lower incidence of hypertriglyceridemia in Korean female. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm a clear causal relationship.

Keyword

Hypertriglyceridemia; Triglyceride; Serum Folic Acid; Folate; Atherosclerosis; Korean Female