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Carbohydrate intake, serum lipids and apolipoprotein E phenotype show association in children

Soile Ruottinen1, Tapani Rönnemaa, Harri Niinikoski

  • 1Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. soile.ruottinen@utu.fi

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|July 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Increasing carbohydrate intake in children slightly lowers HDL cholesterol, particularly in those with apoE3 or apoE4 phenotypes. This suggests genetic factors influence how diet affects children's lipid levels.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Dietary habits in childhood significantly impact long-term cardiovascular health.
  • Understanding the interplay between diet and genetic factors in children's lipid profiles is crucial for early prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between carbohydrate consumption and serum lipid levels in children.
  • To determine if apolipoprotein E (apoE) phenotype modifies this association.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal analysis of 644 children (aged 5-9) from the STRIP atherosclerosis prevention trial.
  • Assessment of carbohydrate intake via 4-day food records and measurement of serum lipids (triglycerides, HDL, LDL cholesterol).
  • Genotyping for apolipoprotein E (apoE) phenotypes.

Main Results:

  • A 1% increase in daily energy from total carbohydrates correlated with a decrease in HDL cholesterol (0.006 mmol/L) and an increase in triglycerides (0.02 mmol/L).
  • This inverse association with HDL was observed in children with apoE3 and apoE4 phenotypes but not apoE2.
  • Increased sucrose intake also showed a positive association with triglyceride levels.

Conclusions:

  • Carbohydrate intake exerts a modest influence on children's serum lipids.
  • The apoE phenotype plays a role, with apoE3 and apoE4 carriers showing reduced HDL cholesterol with higher carbohydrate intake.
  • This highlights the interaction between genetic predisposition and dietary factors in pediatric lipoprotein metabolism.
Abstract

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