Postprandial triglyceride metabolism in elderly men with subnormal testosterone levels.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the level of postprandial triglycerides (TG)s in elderly men with subnormal testosterone level (< or = 11.0 nmol/L) compared to men with normal testosterone level (> 11.0 nmol/L).


METHODS
Thirty-seven men with subnormal and 41 men with normal testosterone aged 60-80 years underwent an oral fat load and TG levels were measured fasting and 2, 4, 6 and 8 h afterwards.


RESULTS
Men with subnormal testosterone had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (P < 0.001) than men with normal testosterone. They had significantly higher area under curve (AUC, P = 0.037), incremental area under curve (AUCi, P = 0.035) and TG response (TGR, P = 0.014) for serum-TG and significantly higher AUC (P = 0.023), AUCi (P = 0.023) and TGR (P = 0.014) for chylomicron-TG compared to men with normal testosterone level. Adjusting for waist circumference erased the significant differences between the groups in postprandial triglyceridemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Men with subnormal testosterone have increased postprandial TG levels indicating an impaired metabolism of postprandial TG-rich lipoproteins (TRL), which may add to an unfavourable lipid profile and promote development of atherosclerosis.
Agledahl
Ingvild
I
Department of Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. ingvild.agledahl@fagmed.uit.no
Hansen
John-Bjarne
JB
Svartberg
Johan
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000172:deficiency*; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
D014280:Triglycerides; D013739:Testosterone