April 25 : A new study has found a connection between high insulin levels and dysfunction of intestinal lipid metabolism. The study supports the contention that impaired intestinal metabolic function plays a critical role in the development of cardiovascular disease.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers including Dr. Donna Vine, at the University of Alberta.

As part of the study, researchers examined an animal model to see the effect of high levels of insulin.

Researchers found that that excessive insulin appears to slow the removal of chylomicrons from the blood stream following a fatty meal, allowing chylomicrons and cholesterol to build up in blood vessels, which, over time, creates blockages in the blood stream, leading to heart problems.

Chylomicrons transport dietary fat from the intestine to the rest of the body.

“Now that we know high levels of insulin are associated with altered intestinal chylomicron metabolism and a build up of these particles in the blood vessel walls, our next step is to use this animal model to look closer at the cellular mechanisms and try to figure out how this happens,” Vine said.

High insulin levels are caused by excessive consumption of sugar and fatty foods. Perpetually high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, which predisposes individuals to develop Type 2 diabetes and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers believe that high levels of intestinal chylomicron cholesterol, which is harder to detect than LDL cholesterol, has been long overlooked as a contributor to cardiovascular disease.

If anyone is concerned about developing cardiovascular disease he or she should not only have the LDL cholesterol levels checked but also the amount of chylomicrons in their blood stream should be checked.

If chylomicron levels were high, it would pay to consume less fatty foods over the day. Aside from critical dietary manipulation, there are also emerging drugs that can target intestinal cholesterol and perhaps improve chylomicron metabolism.

“The ultimate goal is to learn more about the intestines’ role in health and disease states, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and to develop interventions that can prevent disease onset and progression,” she said.

The findings of the research were published in the journal Atherosclerosis. (ANI)