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Plant Stanol Supplementation Decreases Serum Triacylglycerols in Subjects with Overt Hypertriglyceridemia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

Evidence is accumulating that high serum concentrations of triacylglycerols (TAG) are, like LDL cholesterol, causally related to cardiovascular disease. A recent meta-analysis has indicated that plant stanol ester (PSE) intake not only lowered LDL cholesterol, but also serum TAG concentrations, especially in subjects with high baseline TAG concentrations. We therefore evaluated the effects of PSE supplementation on lipid metabolism in a population with elevated fasting TAG concentrations. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study, 28 subjects with elevated TAG concentrations (>1.7 mmol/L) were studied. After a 1-week run-in period during which a control margarine was used, subjects consumed for 3 weeks either control or PSE-enriched margarine (2.5 g/day of plant stanols). Serum plant stanol concentrations increased in all subjects receiving the PSE-enriched margarines, demonstrating good compliance. PSE supplementation significantly decreased serum total (6.7%, P = 0.015) and LDL cholesterol (9.5%, P = 0.041). A significant interaction between baseline TAG concentrations and PSE intake was found; PSE intake lowered TAG concentrations, particularly in subjects with high baseline TAG concentrations (>2.3 mmol/L; P = 0.009). Additionally, a significant interaction between baseline total number of LDL particles (LDL-P) and PSE intake was found (P = 0.020). PSE consumption lowered LDL-P, primarily in subjects with elevated baseline values; this was mainly due to a non-significant decrease in the number of atherogenic small LDL-P. Circulating levels of hs-CRP, glucose, and insulin were not changed after PSE intake. Taken together, PSE supplementation not only lowered LDL cholesterol, but also serum TAG concentrations, especially in subjects with overt hypertriglyceridemia.

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Abbreviations

TAG:

Triacylglycerols

PSE:

Plant stanol ester

LDL-P:

LDL particles

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

VLDL:

Very-low-density lipoprotein

sd:

Small dense

DM2:

Type II diabetes

FCHL:

Familial combined hyperlipidemia

AZM:

Academic Hospital Maastricht

GP:

General practitioner

hs-CRP:

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein

FFQ:

Food-frequency questionnaires

TRL:

TAG-rich lipoproteins

PAI-1:

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

n.a.:

Not applicable

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Acknowledgements

We thank the study participants for their cooperation and enthusiasm. We also thank the technical and dietary staff from our department for their support. The study was supported financially by the Raisio Group Finland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Elke Theuwissen, Jogchum Plat & Ronald P. Mensink

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Carla J. van der Kallen & Marleen M. van Greevenbroek

Authors
  1. Elke Theuwissen
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  2. Jogchum Plat
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  3. Carla J. van der Kallen
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  4. Marleen M. van Greevenbroek
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  5. Ronald P. Mensink
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronald P. Mensink.

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Theuwissen, E., Plat, J., van der Kallen, C.J. et al. Plant Stanol Supplementation Decreases Serum Triacylglycerols in Subjects with Overt Hypertriglyceridemia. Lipids 44, 1131–1140 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-009-3367-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-009-3367-6

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