Associations of postprandial lipemia with trunk/leg fat ratio in young normal weight women independently of fat mass and insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To determine whether postprandial lipemia is associated with fat distribution even in young, normal weight women independently of fat mass, adipokines, insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN

Female college students (ages 21-24, n=35) underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and a standardized breakfast providing 17 g triglycerides (TG). Serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, adipokines and markers of insulin resistance and inflammation were measured in fasting blood samples.

RESULTS

In crude analyses, postprandial lipemia, as assessed by 0-2 h area under the curve of serum TG (TG-AUC), was positively associated with fasting TG, trunk/leg fat ratio, apolipoprotein B, leptin/adiponectin ratio and log high-sensitivity CRP. Multiple linear regression analysis with these 5 variables as independent variables revealed that fasting TG (p<0.001) and trunk/ leg fat ratio (p=0.001), were independent positive predictors of TG-AUC (R2=0.923). Women with high compared to low TG-AUC were characterized by higher trunk/leg fat ratio, elevated apolipoprotein B and leptin/adiponectin ratio.

CONCLUSION

Trunk/leg fat ratio, a marker of central adiposity, is a significant predictor of postprandial lipemia even in young women who are normal weight and insulin- sensitive, suggesting a modifiable pathway to postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, a cardiometabolic risk factor. These findings should be confirmed in studies employing more participants.