Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Postprandial hypertriglyceridaemia is also associated with CHD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postprandial lipaemia after an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) in women with MetS.
Methods: OFTT, was given to 21 menopausal women with MetS (defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III) and to 12 healthy menopausal women. Triglyceride (TG) levels were measured before and 2, 4, 6 and 8h after the OFTT. The postprandial response was quantified by the areas under the curve (AUC) of TG levels. MetS women were subdivided according to body mass index (BMI) < or > or =30kg/m(2), and to fasting TG levels < or > or =150mg/dl.
Results: The response to the OFTT was significantly higher in the MetS group compared to healthy [AUC(S.D.), in mg/dl/h; 2014(933) versus 732(197), p<0.001]. The subjects with BMI < or > or =30kg/m(2) had similar fasting TG levels [157(60)mg/dl versus 158(67) mg/dl] and AUC [1975(898) versus 2072(1044), respectively]. The MetS women with TG> or =150mg/dl had higher AUC compared to those with TG<150mg/dl [2502(854) versus 1281(441), p=0.002]. In linear regression analysis, where BMI, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting TG, HOMA-IR and QUICKI were the independent variables, only fasting TGs significantly predicted the AUC (coefficient B=11.866, p=0.008).
Conclusions: The fasting TG concentration is the main determinant of postprandial lipaemia. The obesity state was not an additional determinant for exaggerated postprandial response in MetS women. The abnormal postprandial lipaemia could be added as an important metabolic disturbance to the MetS.