Triglyceride Response to Oral Glucose Load: Is it Exaggerated in Metabolic Syndrome?

Abstract

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors related to insulin resistance. Data show that triglyceride (TG) levels following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) are higher among obese and insulin-resistant cases associated with metabolic risk factors. In this study, we aimed to assess whether an exaggerated TG response was present in cases with MetS who had undergone OGTT. Methods: In total, 88 cases (70 females, 18 males) without diabetes who were aged older than 18 years were recruited. All the cases underwent 75-gram OGTT. Fifty-one cases (42 females, 9 males; mean age: 48.69+/-10.13 years) with MetS according to the International Diabetes Foundation formed the MetS group, while 37 cases without MetS (28 females, 9 males; mean age: 48.78+/-9.18 years) formed the control group. Results: OGTT 0-, 1-, and 2-hour TG levels were 170.96+/-81.10 mg/dL, 166.94+/-72.82 mg/dL, and 157.76+/-74.29 mg/dL in the MetS group and 116.46+/-47.60 mg/dL, 115.35+/-46.01 mg/dL, and 108.51+/-49.33 mg/dL in the control group, respectively. The 2-hour TG levels were significantly decreased in both groups compared with the 0- and 1-hour levels (p=0.001 for both). In both the groups, glucose and insulin levels significantly increased in the 1st hour compared with the 0th hour and significantly decreased in the 2nd hour compared with the 1st hour (p=0.001 for both). Conclusion: In this study, the presence of MetS did not have an effect on TG response to OGTT. The decrease in TG levels in both groups may be associated with the acute decreasing effect of early-phase insulin on TG.