Metabolic syndrome and gender differences in postprandial lipaemia

Background Postprandial hyperlipidaemia may be a predictor of vascular risk. Design We evaluated postprandial lipaemia after an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) in men (n = 41) and women (n = 21) with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods Triglyceride (TG) levels were measured before and 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the fat load. Results Men showed a greater plasma TG response 8 h after the fat load (284 117 versus 224 +/- 126 mg/dl, P = 0.029). Only fasting TG levels significantly predicted the TG area under the curve (AUC) and incremental AUC. Conclusions Men had a more pronounced postprandial hypertriglyceridaemia and seem to have delayed TG clearance.