TOPLINE:
METHODOLOGY:
- Potential gender differences in the impact of intermittent hypoxemia on triglycerides have not been well studied, despite the increased risk for metabolic comorbidities in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- The researchers recruited 24 healthy young adults with a mean age of 23.3 years for the 12 men and 21.3 years for the 12 women.
- Participants consumed a high-fat meal followed by 6 hours of exposure to intermittent hypoxemia or ambient air; the primary outcome was changes in postprandial plasma triglyceride levels.
TAKEAWAY:
- Intermittent hypoxemia was associated with significantly higher postprandial triglycerides in men but not in women.
- Women had lower levels of total triglycerides as well as denser triglyceride-rich lipoprotein triglycerides (TRL-TG) and buoyant TRL-TG in both normoxia and hypoxemia conditions compared with men.
- Glucose levels were significantly higher in men and significantly lower in women during intermittent hypoxemia compared with normoxia (P < .001 for both sexes).
IN PRACTICE:
“Although there is a need for larger confirmatory studies in individuals living with obstructive sleep apnea, this study demonstrates that intermittent hypoxemia alters triglyceride metabolism differently between men and women,” the researchers wrote.
SOURCE:
The lead author of the study was Nicholas Goulet, MD, of the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The study was published online in The Journal of Physiology on January 29, 2024.
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations of the study included the experimental design with simulated OSA, the small and homogeneous study population, the use of a specific profile for intermittent hypoxemia, and the use of a specific high-fat meal.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Association Médicale Universitaire de l’Hôpital Montfort. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.