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Changes in serum triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein concentration and composition after a low-fat mixed meal. Effects of gender and insulin resistance

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Abstract

Objective

Postprandial lipaemia is generally studied after a test meal that provides most of the calories as fat and that does not reflect the common food intake. We investigated postprandial changes in serum triglycerides (TG) and in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration and composition after a regular meal poor in fat (30% of calories).

Methods

Fifty-four women and 54 men had breakfast at 8:00 a.m. (12% of daily calories) and lunch at 12:30 p.m. (53% of daily calories).

Results

With respect to fasting values, TG increased more in men (24% at 2:30 p.m. and 30% at 5:00 p.m.) than in women (19% and 23%, respectively). HDL cholesterol decreased by 4% both in men and women at 2:30 p.m., and in both genders levels returned towards baseline levels at 5:00 p.m. Apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) significantly decreased in men (−3% at 2:30 p.m.), but did not change in women. The apo A-I/HDL cholesterol ratio significantly increased by 3% in men at 2:30 p.m. and by 5% both in men and women at 5:00 p.m. Postprandial serum TG were higher and HDL cholesterol and apo A-I were lower in subjects of both genders with insulin resistance (high HOMAIR) than in those with low HOMAIR. The greatest increase in serum TG (39%) was observed in men with high HOMAIR. HDL cholesterol and apo A-I significantly decreased and the apo A-I/HDL-C ratio significantly increased only in this subgroup of subjects.

Conclusions

Ingestion of low doses of fat in a mixed meal is followed by variable increases of serum TG, and the greatest response is found in insulin-resistant men. In this subset of subjects, postprandial hypertriglyceridaemia is associated with alterations in HDL that might be consistent with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli and Regina Elena, Milan, Italy

    Adriana Branchi

  2. Department of Internal Medicine 1, “G. Salvini” Hospital, Garbagnate Milanese (MI), Italy

    Adriana Torri, Cristina Berra, Emanuela Colombo & Domenico Sommariva

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  1. Adriana Branchi
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  2. Adriana Torri
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  3. Cristina Berra
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  4. Emanuela Colombo
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  5. Domenico Sommariva
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Correspondence to Adriana Branchi.

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Branchi, A., Torri, A., Berra, C. et al. Changes in serum triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein concentration and composition after a low-fat mixed meal. Effects of gender and insulin resistance. Int Emergency Med 1, 287–295 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02934762

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02934762

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