Fasting cholesteryl ester transfer protein concentration is independently associated with the postprandial decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration after fat-rich meals: the Hoorn prandial study

The aim of the study was to test whether fasting or postprandial cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) concentrations are associated with postprandial changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) concentrations after fat-rich or carbohydrate-rich meals. Postmenopausal women (76 with normal glucose metabolism [NGM], 41 with type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM], and 38 T2DM women with statin therapy [T2DM-ST]) received 2 consecutive fat-rich or carbohydrate-rich meals on separate occasions. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the associations of fasting CETP and postprandial changes of CETP with postprandial changes in HDL-c. Mean plasma HDL-c concentrations decreased significantly after the fat-rich meals: 0.18 ± 0.09 mmol/L in NGM, 0.16 ± 0.09 mmol/L in T2DM, and 0.14 ± 0.08 mmol/L in T2DM-ST women. This effect was smaller after using carbohydrate-rich meals: 0.12 ± 0.09 mmol/L in the NGM, 0.12 ± 0.08 mmol/L in the T2DM, and 0.10 ± 0.05 mmol/L in the T2DM-ST study group. Higher fasting but not postprandial CETP concentrations were associated with a larger postprandial decrease in HDL-c (β −0.034; 95% confidence interval, −0.067 to −0.001) after the fat-rich meals. This association was independent of the postprandial increase in triglycerides and similar among the 3 study groups. A high fasting CETP concentration may contribute to the postprandial atherogenic lipoprotein profile in postmenopausal women by decreasing HDL-c after fat-rich meals. This effect is independent from the postprandial increase in triglycerides.