Effects of statins and exercise on postprandial lipoproteins in metabolic syndrome vs metabolically healthy individuals

Abstract

Aims: To determine if the combination of exercise and statin could normalize postprandial triglyceridaemia (PPTG) in hypercholesteraemic individuals. Methods: Eight hypercholesteraemic (blood cholesterol 182 ± 38 mg dL−1; low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol [LDL-c] 102 ± 32 mg dL−1) overweight (body mass index 30 ± 4 kg m−2) individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) were compared to a group of 8 metabolically healthy (MetH) controls (blood cholesterol 149 ± 23 mg dL−1; LDL-c 77 ± 23 mg dL−1, and body mass index 23 ± 2 kg m−2). Each group underwent 2 PPTG tests, either 14 hours after a bout of intense exercise or without previous exercise. Additionally, MetS individuals were tested 96 hours after withdrawal of their habitual statin medication to study medication effects. Results: A bout of exercise before the test meal did not reduce PPTG in MetS (P =.347), but reduced PPTG by 46% in MetH (413 ± 267 to 224 ± 142 mg dL−1 for 5 h incremental area under the curve; P =.02). In both trials (i.e., either after a bout of intense exercise or without previous exercise), statin withdrawal in MetS greatly increased PPTG (average 65%; P