Effects of apolipoprotein E genotype on dietary-induced changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in obese postmenopausal women

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental clinical and experimental, 2002-07, Vol.51 (7), p.853-858
• Main Authors: Nicklas, Barbara J., Ferrell, Robert E., Bunyard, Linda B., Berman, Dora M., Dennis, Karen E., Goldberg, Andrew P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alleles; Apolipoprotein E4; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body Weight; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Diet; Dietary Fats; Energy Intake; European Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Female; Gene Frequency; Genotype; Humans; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - genetics; Postmenopause - blood; Postmenopause - genetics; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Regression Analysis
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1053/meta.2002.33337

Lipid responses to a dietary intervention are highly variable between individuals. Part of this variation may be accounted for by individual differences in lipid-regulating genes that interact with diet to induce changes in lipoprotein metabolism. This study determined whether apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype affects lipid responses to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet in obese, postmenopausal women. Body weight and lipoprotein lipid responses to a 10-week, dietary intervention (American Heart Association [AHA] Step I) were compared in 61 women with the APOE 2/3 and APOE 3/3 genotype (APOE4-) and 18 women with the APOE 3/4 genotype (APOE4+) of a similar age, body composition, and maximal aerobic capacity. Body weight decreased by 2% in both groups, but changes in body weight correlated only with changes in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) ( r = .27, P [lt ] .05). The dietary intervention decreased total cholesterol and LDL-C to a similar degree in both genotype groups. However, APOE4- women decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) by 17% [plusmn] 11% and increased triglycerides by 20% [plusmn] 41% in response to the diet, while APOE4+ women had a smaller decrease in HDL-C ([minus ]8% [plusmn] 12%) and no change in plasma triglyceride. These group differences were significant for HDL-C ( P [lt ] .01) and approached significance for triglycerides ( P = .08). Moreover, APOE4- women decreased HDL 2-C by 32% [plusmn] 45%, while APOE4+ women increased HDL 2-C by 12% [plusmn] 62% ( P [lt ] .01 between groups). It may be prudent to genotype older women before initiating low-fat diet therapy, as those with the APOE4 allele benefit the most, while the lipid profile could worsen in women without the APOE4 allele.