Effects of Combined Glucose and Fat Load on Endothelium-Dependent Brachial Artery Vasodilatation in Hypertensive Patients

Introduction: This study investigated the effects of combined glucose and fat load on glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as on vascular endothelial function, in hypertensive patients. Methods and Results: A total of 98 hypertensive patients were randomly divided into 3 groups that received an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT), an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) or a combined oral glucose and fat tolerance test (OGFTT). Endothelium-dependent flow-mediated brachial artery dilation (FMD) was measured by vascular ultrasound and was used as an indicator of vascular endothelial function. There were no significant differences in demographics or clinical characteristics among the 3 groups before the study. Immediately after the OGFTT, the serum triglyceride levels and the area under the curve for serum glucose in the OGFTT group were not significantly different from those in the other 2 groups. However, the 1-hour FMD in the OGFTT group was significantly reduced compared with that of the OGTT group (5.45 +/- 0.75 versus 9.46 +/- 1.32, P < 0.05), and the 4-hour FMD in the OGFTT group was also significantly reduced compared with the OFTT group (8.56 +/- 1.09 versus 9.76 +/- 2.00, P < 0.05). Conclusion: A combined glucose and fat load has a cumulative effect on vascular endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients.