Postprandial lipid profile characteristics and their influencing factors in Chinese healthy volunteers with normal fasting blood lipids

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigated the impact of an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) on plasma lipid levels in a group of healthy Chinese volunteers with normal fasting blood lipids and analyze the factors influencing the 4-hour postprandial triglycerides (TG) levels. In order to provide reference recommendations for controlling postprandial lipid levels specifically in Chinese population. Methods A total of 304 healthy volunteers from the Research Center of Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital enrolled in the pharmacokinetic (PK) study of the drug clinical trial in the postprandial group from 2021 to 2022 were included. General information such as gender, age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, pulse and daily habits (diet, exercise etc.) were collected after obtaining informed consent. The remained plasma samples after PK studies under high-fat diet conditions were collected for lipid testing. The impact of OFTT on plasma lipid profile was investigated, and the influence factors correlated with 4-hour postprandial TG were analyzed. Results We observed significant elevation in postprandial TG levels, while there was a temporary and slight decrease in HDL-C, LDL-C and ApoB levels after the OFTT in healthy volunteers with normal fasting lipid levels. However, no significant difference was found between fasting and postprandial TC levels. The 4-hour postprandial TG levels observed after the OFTT exhibited a significant positive correlated with advanced age (p<0.0001), elevated BMI (p<0.005), and increased fasting TG levels (p<0.0001) as determined through Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis. Interestingly, approximately half of these healthy volunteers with normal fasting blood lipids exhibited abnormal postprandial TG levels. Additionally, a small proportion of the population dose not response to the OFTT. Conclusion Conducting an OFTT is essential for early evaluating the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CADs) and providing guidance for maintaining healthy lipid levels in the Chinese population.