We followed 13,981 Danes for 26 years, during which 1,793 developed myocardial infarction and 7,818 died. Women with elevated non-fasting triglycerides had hazard ratios for myocardial infarction of 2.2 for triglycerides of 1-1.99 mmol/L, 4.4 for 2-2.99 mmol/L, 3.9 for 3-3.99 mmol/L, 5.1 for 4-4.99 mmol/L, and 17 for > or = 5 mmol/L versus women with triglycerides < 1 mmol/L. Corresponding values for men were 1.6, 2.3, 3.6, 3.3, and 4.6. Hazard ratios for death were 1.3, 1.7, 2.2, 2.2, and 4.3 in women and 1.3, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 in men with increasing triglycerides versus < 1 mmol/L.