Objective: To explore the changes of carotid atherosclerosis and the endothelial function after a high-fat meal in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods: The carotid intima-media thickness (IMTc) and the brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) before and after a high-fat meal were measured by the high-resolution ultrasound technique in 20 elderly patients with CAD and 22 healthy elderly subjects.
Results: The CAD patients had a higher IMTc (P < 0.01) and impaired FMD (P < 0.05) compared with the healthy subjects. The serum triglyceride level increased in the two groups after the meal. The CAD patients had a higher triglyceride peak response (TGPR) than the healthy subjects (P < 0.05). The IMTc of the two groups had no change before and after the meal. The postprandial FMD significantly aggravated in the two groups (P < 0.001); and the percent decrement of FMD in the CAD patients was obviously higher than that in the healthy subjects (P < 0.05). The postprandial TGPR was positively correlated with the fasting IMTc and the postprandial percent decrement of FMD (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The disordered postprandial metabolism of triglyceride-riched lipoproteins may play an atherogenic role by inducing endothelial dysfunction.