title: Impaired left ventricular relaxation and hyperinsulinemia in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: Fifteen non-obese patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and fifteen normocholesterolemic subjects matched for age, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, arterial blood pressure and sedentary life style underwent blood sampling for determination of fasting plasma glucose, insulin, total-, LDL-, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, apolipoprotein A1 and B. In both groups of subjects we determined erythrocyte membrane microviscosity and performed an echocardiographic study. We demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic patients had a significant increase in fasting plasma total cholesterol (8.9 +/- 0.5 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.3 mmol/l, P less than 0.001), insulin (79 +/- 4 vs. 58 +/- 4 pmol/l, P less than 0.05) and apolipoprotein B (2.2 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.5 g/l P less than 0.01). In the echocardiographic study we found a significant impairment in left ventricular relaxation (isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) 106 +/- 6 vs. 73 +/- 7 ms, P less than 0.01). Erythrocyte membrane microviscosity (0.253 +/- 0.004 vs. 0.225 +/- 0.003, P less than 0.05) was also increased in hypercholesterolemic patients. Finally we found that erythrocyte membrane microviscosity correlated with fasting plasma insulin levels (r = -0.46, P less than 0.03) and IRT (r = -0.52, P less than 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Metabolic Diseases, 1st Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paolisso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cacciapuoti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lama
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galzarano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varricchio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Onofrio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004452:Echocardiography; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids