PRESERVED ANTILIPOLYTIC INSULIN ACTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH A LESS ATHEROGENIC PLASMA-LIPID PROFILE IN HEALTHY CENTENARIANS

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have demonstrated that centenarians have a p reserved glucose tolerance and insulin action and a more favorable bod y composition and fat distribution than aged subjects. The strong rela tionship among glucose tolerance, insulin action, plasma lipid concent ration, and lipoprotein metabolism would lead to the hypothesis that h ealthy centenarians may also have a less atherogenic profile than aged subjects less than 100 years old. DESIGN: Investigation of the relati onship between insulin action and lipid metabolism in healthy centenar ians. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-six subjects were categorized into three gro ups: Adults (less than or equal to 50 years old; n = 20); Aged (greate r than or equal to 75 years old; n = 22); Centenarians (greater than o r equal to 100 years old; n = 14). The latter represented a select gro up of individuals free of major age-related diseases. MEASUREMENTS: An thropometric measurements were made in all subjects, fasting blood sam ples were drawn fur metabolite determinations, and an euglycemic gluco se clamp was performed. RESULTS: Compared with aged subjects, healthy centenarians appeared to have a less atherogenic plasma lipid profile. Fasting plasma LDL cholesterol (2.4 +/- 0.6 vs 3.7 +/- .6 mmol/L P < .010) was significantly higher in aged subjects than in centenarians, whereas fasting plasma HDL cholesterol (1.0 +/- 0.4 vs 1.7 +/- .4 mmol /L P < .005) had an opposite trend. In centenarians, insulin-mediated glucose uptake was greater (34.6 +/- 0.5 vs 23.3 +/- .05 mu mol/Kg FFM x min P < .010) than in aged subjects and correlated with lasting pla sma triglycerides, FFA, LDL, and HDL cholesterol, Apo B, and Apo A1 co ncentrations. Finally, insulin infusion suppressed plasma FFA concentr ation in similar ways in adults and centenarians. CONCLUSION: Our stud y demonstrates that centenarians have a less atherogenic plasma lipid and lipoprotein profile than aged subjects.