Nonfasting lipemia and inflammation as cardiovascular disease risks after SCI

Abstract

Fasting blood lipids are the bedrock of cardiovascular disease (CVD) assessment, although the human lifespan is primarily spent in the postprandial state. An exaggerated postprandial lipemia (PPL) facilitates accumulation of atherogenic triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in vascular endothelium. PPL worsens CVD risk associated with heart disease and diabetes and is now reported in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Studies also report elevated blood levels of pro-atherogenic inflammatory cytokines after SCI. As these cytokines are both markers and instigators of atherogenesis, and as nonfasting hypertriglyceridemia stimulates the inflammatory cascade, both PPL and inflammation merit serious consideration as newfound risks for CVD after SCI. © 2009 Thomas Land Publishers, Inc.