A comparison of the ratios of C-reactive protein and triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol as biomarkers of metabolic syndrome in African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites

•Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major global problem and important cardiovascular risk modifier.•Biomarkers to identify MetS will facilitate management.•The ratio of TG:HDL-C appears to be one such biomarker but to date data in African Americans (AA) is conflicting.•We show based on the NHANES data set that this important ratio is valid biomarker in AA also.