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Background: Plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) is a composite measure of all apoB-containing lipoproteins causing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, it is unclear which fraction of risk is explained by cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively, in very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs).Objectives: The authors tested the hypothesis that VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides each explain part of the myocardial infarction risk from apoB-containing lipoproteins.Methods: Nested within 109,751 individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study, the authors examined 25,480 subjects free of lipid-lowering therapy and myocardial infarction at study entry. All had measurements of plasma apoB (quantitating number of apoB-containing lipoproteins) and cholesterol and triglyceride content of VLDL, intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDLs), and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs).Results: During a median 11 years of follow-up, 1,816 were diagnosed with myocardial infarction. Per 1-mmol/l higher levels, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for myocardial infarction were 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.81 to 2.36) for VLDL cholesterol, 1.19 (95% CI: 1.14 to 1.25) for VLDL triglycerides, 5.38 (95% CI: 3.73 to 7.75) for IDL cholesterol, and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.62 to 2.14) for LDL cholesterol. Per 1-g/l higher plasma apoB, the corresponding value was 2.21 (95% CI: 1.90 to 2.58). In a step-up Cox regression, risk factors for myocardial infarction entered by importance as VLDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking, and IDL + LDL cholesterol, whereas VLDL triglycerides did not enter the model. VLDL cholesterol explained 50% and IDL + LDL cholesterol 29% of the risk of myocardial infarction from apoB-containing lipoproteins, whereas VLDL triglycerides did not explain risk.Conclusions: VLDL cholesterol explained one-half of the myocardial infarction risk from elevated apoB-containing lipoproteins, whereas VLDL triglycerides did not explain risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During fat tolerance tests, plasma triglycerides increase while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol decrease. However, it is unknown whether triglyceride content increases and cholesterol content decreases in HDL and LDL + IDL fractions following normal meals in the general population. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that triglyceride content increases while cholesterol content decreases in HDL and LDL + IDL fractions following normal meals. In this cross-sectional study, we included 25,656 individuals aged 20–100 years, all without lipid-lowering therapy at examination and selected for metabolomic profiling from the Copenhagen General Population Study. Triglyceride and cholesterol content of 14 lipoprotein fractions weas measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Time since last meal was recorded by the examiner immediately before blood sampling. Following normal meals in age and sex-adjusted analyses and when compared with fasting levels, plasma triglycerides were higher for up to 5–6 h, and triglyceride content was higher for up to 6–7 h in HDL fractions, for up to 6–7 h in LDL + IDL fractions, and for up to 5–6 h in very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fractions. Further, plasma cholesterol was lower for up to 2–3 h, and cholesterol content was lower for up to 0–1 h in HDL fractions and for up to 4–5 h in LDL + IDL fractions, while cholesterol content was higher for up to 4–5 h in VLDL fractions. Following normal meals, triglyceride content increases while cholesterol content decreases in HDL and LDL + IDL fractions. [Display omitted] • Following normal meals, triglyceride content increases in HDL and LDL + IDL fractions. • Following normal meals, cholesterol content decreases in HDL and LDL + IDL fractions. • Following normal meals, cholesterol content decreases in the smallest HDL fractions. • Following normal meals, cholesterol content increases in the largest VLDL fractions. • Results were similar in women and men, and in individuals with low and high BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]