BACKGROUND: Common lipoprotein lipase (LPL) variants are important determinants of triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (C) concentrations. High TG/low HDL-C tend to cluster with hypertension, glucose intolerance, and abdominal obesity and comprise the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The role of LPL variants as a cause of MetS is unclear. This study investigated the relationship between two common LPL variants and the presence of MetS and its individual components.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study, including 2348 Danish women (50.7%) and men, age 41-72 years, without known cardiovascular disease. Carrier status for the two common LPL variants: 447Ter (low TG/high HDL-C) and 291Ser (high TG/low HDL-C) was determined. The prevalence of MetS according to the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria was 16.6%.

RESULTS: Of the 2348 participants, 19.8% had the 447Ter variant and 4.9% had the 291Ser variant. Compared with the reference variant, the prevalence of MetS was lower in carriers of the 447Ter variant (11.2% vs. 17.9%, P < 0.001) but with no difference in carriers of the 291Ser variant (18.4% vs. 16.5%, P = 0.59). Adjusted for age, sex, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and highest sex-specific insulin quartile, the relative risk of MetS was 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45-0.89, P < 0.01) for carriers of the 447Ter variant and 1.20 (95% CI 0.70-2.03, P > 0.05) for carriers of the 291Ser variant. Both LPL variants were associated with high TG/low HDL-C (P < 0.01), but not with the MetS components waist circumference, hypertension, and glucose intolerance (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The two common LPL variants were associated with MetS through their effect on high TG/low HDL-C.