Lack of association between lipaemia and central adiposity in subjects with an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype (ALP)

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2000-09, Vol.24 (9), p.1097-1106
• Main Authors: Minihane, A.M, Khan, S, Talmud, P.J, Williams, D.L, Wright, J.W, Murphy, M.C, Griffin, B.A, Williams, C.M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adiposity; alleles; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood lipids; Body fat; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Diabetes; fasting; genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Glucose; Health risks; High density lipoprotein; hyperlipidemia; insulin; Insulin resistance; Lipids; Lipoproteins; low density lipoprotein; Medical sciences; men; Metabolic diseases; Metabolic disorders; Middle age; Obesity; phenotype; Risk factors; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides; waist circumference; waist-to-hip ratio
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801372

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between indices of adiposity and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype (ALP). SUBJECTS: Fifty-five men, aged 34-69 y, body mass index (BMI) 22-35 kg/m2, with an ALP lipid profile (triglycerides (TG) 1.5-4.0 mmol/l, HDL < 1.1 mmol/l; %LDL-3 > 40% total LDL). DESIGN: Each participant provided a fasting blood sample and underwent an 8 h postprandial assessment and had anthropometric measurements taken. OUTCOME MEASURES: BMI, waist circumference (W), waist-to-hip ratio (W/H), sum of skinfolds (SSK), fasting and postprandial concentrations of glucose, insulin and plasma lipids, post-heparin lipase activity, and apoE genotype. RESULTS: The expected positive associations between BMI, W and SSK and fasting and postprandial insulin were observed (r = 0.42-0.65). Little association between glucose responses and any measures of adiposity was evident. Unexpectedly, there were no positive associations between measures of central adiposity (W and W/H) and fasting and postprandial TG responses, with a trend towards negative associations in this study group (TG AUC vs W, r = -0.23, P = 0.097; TG IAUC vs W/H, r = -0.26, P = 0.068). Subgroup analysis indicated that lack of a positive association between central adiposity and postprandial TG values was more evident in those with one E4 allele (r = -0.42, P = 0.077) relative to non-E4 carriers (r = -0.16, P = 0.430). The expected positive associations between insulin and TG responses were not observed (r = -0.03 to -0.36). CONCLUSION: In this ALP group the expected positive association between TG responses and a centralized distribution of body fat was not observed, particularly in individuals with an apoE4 genotype. Our findings are not in line with the view that there is a clear causal relationship between insulin resistance and the lipid abnormalities associated with ALP.