Postprandial lipemia is not increased in patients with previous unprovoked venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND

Patients with arterial cardiovascular disease have increased postprandial lipemia, and plasma levels of postprandial remnants are related to the progression of atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism have increased risk of arterial cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether patients with a history of unprovoked venous thromboembolism have increased postprandial lipemia.

METHODS

A population-based case-control study was performed in 20 patients with a history of unprovoked venous thromboembolism and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Participants were subjected to a standard fat tolerance test (1 g/kilo body weight) with subsequent blood sampling every second hour for 8 hours. Lipids were measured by traditional methods and lipoprotein subclasses by proton nuclear magnetic resonance.

RESULTS

Fasting lipids and lipoprotein subclasses did not differ between groups. The postprandial lipemia, assessed by the incremental area under the triglyceride curve, was not different in venous thromboembolism patients and healthy controls (5.0 ± 3.6 mmol/L∗h vs 5.3 ± 4.4 mmol/L∗h, P = .81). Similarly, the distribution and size of the lipoprotein subclasses obtained 4 hours postprandially did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION

Patients with a history of unprovoked venous thromboembolism had similar lipoprotein subclasses size, distribution, and postprandial lipemia as healthy controls. Our findings indicate that postprandial lipemia is not a link between unprovoked venous thromboembolism and arterial cardiovascular disease.