title: Postprandial lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in young Northern Europeans, South Asians and Latin Americans in the UK.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether the higher susceptibility to coronary heart disease and diabetes in South Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom compared with the Caucasian population may reflect insulin resistance and altered postprandial lipid metabolism. We also wished to study Latin Americans, an ethnic group that has not been previously studied in the United Kingdom. The intention was to carry out a detailed study in a relatively small number of subjects to provide essential baseline information for larger epidemiological studies. Postprandial lipaemia was measured in 25 subjects (eight South Asians, eight Latin Americans and nine Northern Europeans) who resided in the United Kingdom. Results from the postprandial studies were correlated to insulin sensitivity measured by the insulin tolerance test, food intake, anthropometry and adipose tissue fatty acid composition. In South Asians, postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations were greater than in the other groups (P<0.01 and <0.05, respectively), although there were no differences in postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations or in insulin sensitivity assessed with the insulin tolerance test. The decreased glucose tolerance in this group could not be explained by differences in percentage body fat, body mass index, or by dietary intake measured by food records or adipose tissue fatty acid composition. We conclude that postprandial lipaemia is not affected in young South Asians compared to Northern Europeans although glucose intolerance is detectable. The results from the present study should help in the design of further postprandial lipid studies in different ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Lipid Metabolism Group, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Radcliffe Infirmary, OX2 6HE, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Frayn
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids