Post-prandial remnant lipids impair arterial compliance

OBJECTIVES We sought to examine the effects of plasma lipids, especially in remnants after a fat meal, on systemic arterial compliance (SAC), a newly recognized cardiovascular risk factor. BACKGROUND Post-prandial remnants correlate with coronary heart disease events through mechanisms that may include vascular dysfunction, although the effect on SAC has not been studied. METHODS Systemic arterial compliance was measured non-invasively over 6 h after a fat meal in 16 subjects with varying plasma triglyceride levels. Changes were related to rises in plasma lipids and remnant lipids. Systemic arterial compliance was measured in 20 subjects after a control low-fat meal. RESULTS The fat meal induced increments in plasma triglyceride and remnant cholesterol and triglyceride (respectively +54%, 50% and 290% at 3 h, analysis of variance <0.001). Systemic arterial compliance fell at 3 h and 6 h by 25% and 27% (analysis of variance <0.001). Baseline SAC correlated significantly with all lipid concentrations at 0, 3 h and 6 h, but only with triglyceride on stepwise regression analysis. The SAC response to the low-fat meal was very small and not significant. CONCLUSIONS This is the first demonstration of SAC becoming impaired after a fat meal. Remnant lipids and plasma total triglyceride appeared to contribute to the fall in SAC.