Is an exaggerated postprandial triglyceride response associated with the component features of the insulin resistance syndrome?

To investigate whether individual component features of the insulin resistance syndrome were associated with the postprandial triglyceride response, 57 healthy Caucasian men between 57 and 70 years of age underwent a fat tolerance test lasting 8 h. Fasting triglyceride concentrations were associated with the total unfractionated postprandial triglyceride response (r(s) = 0.54, p < 0.001) and the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TGRLP) fraction (d < 1.006) at 8 h was associated with the maximum non-esterified fatty acid concentration (NEFA) (r(s) = 0.33, p = 0.01). Measures of obesity (BMI and WHR) were not associated with the postprandial triglyceride response but were inversely related to NEFA suppression (NEFA nadir and BMI, r(s) = 0.31, p = 0.02; and NEFA nadir and WHR, r(s) = 0.36, p = 0.006). Other component features of the IRS, including glucose tolerance and two proxy measures of insulin resistance (fasting insulin concentration and HOMA measurement) were not associated with the postprandial triglyceride response despite being strongly associated with fasting triglyceride concentration. Current smoking habit, chronic alcohol consumption and birth weight were also not associated with an altered postprandial triglyceride response. In conclusion these results show that although component features of the IRS were associated with increased fasting triglyceride concentrations many of these features, including two proxy measures of insulin sensitivity were not associated with an exaggerated postprandial triglyceride response.