Impairment of endothelial function after a high-fat meal in patients with coronary artery disease.

Diets rich in fats may impair endothelial function in both coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and healthy individuals.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a single high-fat meal on endothelial function in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Researchers fed 50 CAD patients and 25 healthy subjects with normal plasma cholesterol levels with a single high-fat diet. The plasma triglyceride levels and brachial artery’s flow-mediated vasodilatation were assessed in all the subjects before and after meal.

Researchers observed an increase in serum triglyceride concentrations and impairment of flow-mediated vasodilatation in all the subjects after dietary intervention. The triglyceride-elevating and endothelial-impairment actions of high-fat diets were stronger and more severe in CAD patients than in healthy subjects. The results of this study show that high-fat meals are associated with unhealthy cardiovascular risk profile and endothelial dysfunction in both CAD patients and healthy individuals.