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

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 < .01), mean LDL‐c (average 25%; P < .01), total cholesterol (average 16%; P < .01) and apolipoprotein (Apo) B48 (24%; P < .01), without interference from exercise. However, Apo B100 was not affected by statin withdrawal. Conclusion Hypercholesteraemic MetS individuals (compared to MetH controls) fail to show an effect of exercise on reducing PPTG. However, chronic statin medication blunts the elevations in triglyceride after a fat meal (i.e., incremental area under the curve of PPTG) reducing their cardiovascular risk associated with their atherogenic dyslipidaemia. Statin decreases PPTG by reducing the secretion or accelerating the catabolism of intestinal Apo B48.