Effect of age on plasma triglyceride concentrations in man

Plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations increase with advancing age. To determine if this phenomenon is due to age per se or to age-related changes in other metabolic variables, determination of fasting plasma TG, glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations, as well as body mass index (BMI), were made on 167 normal subjects from 18 to 77 yr of age. Significant simple correlation coefficients (r) were found between TG concentrations and age (0.47), BMI (0.39) and fasting plasma glucose (0.40), insulin (0.24), and FFA (0.20) concentrations. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the total amount of variability in TG concentration that could be accounted for by the combination of the examined metabolic parameters. A highly significant (p < 0.0001) total correlation of 0.57 was obtained, indicating that these variables could account for approximately one-third of the total variances. Partial correlation analysis (fixing four of the five variables) yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.35 (p < 0.001) between age and fasting TG concentration. Hence, age per se, or an age-dependent phenomenon, appears to be an independent factor with a role in determining plasma TG concentrations.