Search

The association between APOE genotypes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is partially mediated by LDL-cholesterol concentration but persists after adjusting for lipid levels and other cardiovascular risk factors. Data from the Aragon Workers Health Study (AWHS) (n = 4159) and the Lipid Unit at the Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet (HUMS) (n = 3705) were used to investigate the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and APOE genotype. Lipoprotein particle and GlycA concentrations were analyzed in a subsample from AWHS. APOE genotyping was carried out by the Sanger method in both cohorts. APOE4 carriers had significantly lower levels of CRP than APOE3 carriers. Furthermore, APOE4 carriers had cholesterol-enriched LDL particles compared to APOE2 carriers. APOE4 carriers also had higher concentrations of small, medium, and large LDL particles. CRP levels were not associated with lipoprotein particle number, size, or composition. GlycA levels were not associated with APOE genotypes. However, GlycA levels were significantly associated with the size and the amount of cholesterol contained in HDL, VLDL, and LDL particles. APOE genotype influences CRP concentration regardless of lipid profile. APOE2 carriers showed the highest CRP levels, followed by APOE3 and APOE4. A more atherogenic lipid profile, but not inflammatory markers could partly explain the higher CVD risk observed in APOE4 carriers.

Background: We investigated the postprandial effects of an alcohol-free beer with modified carbohydrate (CH) composition compared to regular alcohol-free beer. Methods: Two randomized crossover studies were conducted. In the first study, 10 healthy volunteers received 25 g of CH in four different periods, coming from regular alcohol-free beer (RB), alcohol-free beer enriched with isomaltulose and a resistant maltodextrin (IMB), alcohol-free beer enriched with resistant maltodextrin (MB), and a glucose-based beverage. In the second study, 20 healthy volunteers were provided with 50 g of CH from white bread (WB) plus water, or with 14.3 g of CH coming from RB, IMB, MB, and extra WB. Blood was sampled after ingestion every 15 min for 2 h. Glucose, insulin, incretin hormones, TG, and NEFAs were determined in all samples. Results: The increase in glucose, insulin, and incretin hormones after the consumption of IMB and MB was significantly lower than after RB. The consumption of WB with IMB and MB showed significantly less increase in glucose levels than WB with water or WB with RB. Conclusions: The consumption of an alcohol-free beer with modified CH composition led to a better postprandial response compared to a conventional alcohol-free beer.

High plasma level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main driver of the initiation and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is considered an anti-atherogenic lipoprotein due to its role in reverse cholesterol transport and its ability to receive cholesterol that effluxes from macrophages in the artery wall. The scavenger receptor B class type 1 (SR-B1) was identified as the high-affinity HDL receptor, which facilitates the selective uptake of cholesterol ester (CE) into the liver via HDL and is also implicated in the plasma clearance of LDL, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)). Thus, SR-B1 is a multifunctional receptor that plays a main role in the metabolism of different lipoproteins. The aim of this review is to highlight the association between SR-B1 and CVD risk through mice and human genetic studies.

Introduction: The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing rapidly, especially in low- and middle-income countries and has a high number of associated comorbidities. Plasmatic concentrations of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) have been shown to be elevated in T2D subjects in cross-sectional studies. However, the effect of lifestyle community-based interventions on BCAA and RBP4 concentrations has not yet been analyzed. Material and methods: The Feel4Diabetes study is a school and community-based intervention that identified 360 European families with a high risk of developing T2D according to the FINDRISC questionnaire. Families were randomized in control and intervention groups were followed-up from 2016 to 2018. In the Spanish families, the concentration of BCAA and RBP4 was determined in 266 subjects (115 control and 151 intervention group) that attended the three time-point assessments by colorimetric and ELISA reaction, respectively. Results: Baseline BCAA levels showed positive correlations with the FINDRISC score and glucose impairment (baseline glucose, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin), body mass index, and body weight. The participants receiving the community-based intervention showed a significant decrease in glycated hemoglobin and BCAA levels compared to the control group (p = 0.011 and p < 0.001, respectively). However, baseline RBP4 did not show significant correlations with anthropometric and glycemic parameters, and no significant change was observed in anthropometric parameters and RBP4 concentrations throughout the follow-up. Conclusion: A community-based intervention on lifestyle led to a significant reduction in BCAA levels regardless of weight loss. These findings suggest that this interventional approach could be promising in T2D prevention.