The relationship between very-low-density lipoprotein lipid and measures of carbohydrate metabolism in children with different lipoprotein profiles: Bogalusa heart study

Abstract

The relationship of VLDL lipid (cholesterol and triglycerides) levels to fasting and postglucose plasma glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were examined in four subgroups of children (n = 311, ages 6 to 18 years) from a total biracial population whose earlier β- or pre-β-lipoprotein cholesterol levels (or both) were in the extreme quintiles or quartiles. High β-lipoprotein cholesterol strata with or without elevated pre-β-lipoprotein cholesterol showed significantly high levels of FFA and glucose response (mean, 30 and 60 minutes) to oral glucose load, whereas postglucose insulin responses were markedly higher in the high pre-β-lipoprotein cholesterol strata. VLDL triglycerides related closely with fasting plasma glucose levels ( r = 0.53 to 0.60, P < 0.001) and to a lesser extent with postglucose plasma glucose response ( r = 0.37 to 0.44, P < 0.001) in all cases. For insulin and FFA, however, correlations were significant only in certain subgroups. Similar relationships were noted for VLDL cholesterol. Measurements relating to carbohydrate tolerance, age, and race accounted for 35% to 48% of the variability in VLDL lipid values. Surprisingly, fasting plasma glucose showed the highest partial regression coefficient for VLDL lipid in all subgroups except high pre-β-lipoprotein cholesterol and low β-lipoprotein cholesterol category, in which age was the major predictor variable. These results demonstrate that subtle abnormalities in the above-mentioned metabolic interrelationships are established early in life.