INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL-FITNESS AND BODY-WE IGHT ON LIPOPROTEIN SUBFRACTIONS IN HEALTHY-MEN WITH DIFFERENT SERUM TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS

Recently a lipoprotein pattern of reduced HDL(2) cholesterol and incre ased small dense LDL particles has been shown to be prevalent in coron ary heart disease patients. Especially hypertriglyceridemia is associa ted with this lipoprotein risk profile. Reductions in body weight and improvement of physical fitness are known to reduce triglyceride level s and improve lipoprotein subfractions. In order to characterize healt hy individuals with an atherogenic lipoprotein risk profile especially in relation to triglycerides, physical fitness and body weight, we as sessed body mass index (BMI) and maximum oxygen consumptions and deter mined HDL and LDL subfractions by density gradient ultracentrifugation in 133 healthy young men. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed tha t even moderately elevated triglycerides above 100 mg/dl were associat ed with higher apo B concentrations of small dense LDL with a density above 1.044 g/ml and reduced HDL(2) cholesterol. Physical fitness and BMI had no influence on the lipoprotein subfraction pattern of individ uals with low serum triglycerides, but both improved the risk profile in hypertriglyceridemia. Therefore, improvement of lipoprotein metabol ism by increment of exercise activity and reduction of body weight see ms only effective in individuals with insulin resistance or impaired l ipid enzyme activities resembled by elevated triglyceride levels.