Postprandial response to a fat tolerance test in young adults with a paternal history of premature coronary heart disease - the EARS II study

• Published in: European journal of clinical investigation Vol. 30; no. 7; pp. 578 - 585
• Main Authors: TIRET, L, GERDES, C, MURPHY, M. J, DALLONGEVILLE, J, NICAUD, Y, O'REILLY, D. S. J, BEISIEGEL, U, DE BACKER, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford BSL Blackwell Science Ltd 01.07.2000; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Apolipoprotein C-III; Apolipoproteins B - blood; Apolipoproteins C - blood; Apolipoproteins E - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Case-Control Studies; Case-control study; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Artery Disease - genetics; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Disease - genetics; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - blood; Family Health; Fathers; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Logistic Models; Lp C-III:B; Male; Medical sciences; offspring; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; postprandial lipemia; Postprandial Period; Predictive Value of Tests; triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; Human; Premature; Statistical analysis; Nutrition; Postprandial; Tolerance; Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; Case control study; Coronary heart disease; Result; Paternal origin; Young adult; Fat; Clinical trial
• ISSN: 0014-2972; 1365-2362
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2000.00674.x

Background The European Atherosclerosis Research Study (EARS) I had shown that fasting plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein B (apo B) and triglycerides were the most discriminant variables between offspring with a paternal history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and controls. The EARS II study was undertaken to investigate whether a paternal history of CHD was associated with differences in postprandial lipemia. Design Male subjects with a paternal history of CHD (cases, n = 407) and age‐matched male controls (n = 415) were recruited from 14 European universities. All subjects had an oral fat tolerance test. Results In the sample as a whole, the postprandial triglyceride responses did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, in the upper tertile of fasting triglycerides, cases displayed a higher area under the curve (5.71 vs. 4.49 mmol.h L−1, P < 0.001), a higher peak (1.76 vs. 1.43 mmol L−1, P < 0.001) and a more delayed time to peak (3.15 vs. 2.91 h, P < 0.05) than controls. In the upper tertile, fasting apo B levels (P < 0.05) and triglyceride area under the curve (P = 0.002) significantly discriminated cases from controls in a multivariate analysis. Cases had also higher Lp C‐III:B levels at 4 h than controls (11.2 vs. 9.9 mg dL−1, P < 0.01) and this difference remained significant after adjustment for apo B and triglyceride levels. Conclusions These results indicate that in subjects with a moderate elevation of fasting triglycerides, an impaired postprandial response to a fat load constitutes an early biological expression of a paternal history of premature CHD.