Yonsei Med J.  2011 Jan;52(1):13-19. 10.3349/ymj.2011.52.1.13.

Taiwanese Female Vegetarians Have Lower Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Compared with Omnivores

• Chen CW
• Lin CT
• Lin YL
• Lin TK
• Lin CL

• KMID: 1106431
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2011.52.1.13

Abstract

PURPOSE
Many studies supported that vegetarians have a lower risk of cardiac diseases and mortality, partly due to better blood pressure and serum cholesterol profiles. However, the inflammatory markers, especially lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), have not been well-studied. This study aimed to compare inflammatory markers and conventional risk factors between vegetarians and omnivores.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred and seventy-three vegetarians and 190 omnivores were studied. Fasting blood samples were obtained to compare levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, homocysteine, Lp-PLA2 activity, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).
RESULTS
Vegetarians had higher serum levels of the following markers: hs-CRP (1.8 +/- 3.4 vs. 1.2 1.8 mg/L, respectively; p = 0.05), homocysteine (9.39 +/- 3.22 vs. 7.62 +/- 2.41 micromol/L, respectively; p < 0.01), and triacylglycerol (96.91 +/- 59.56 vs. 84.66 +/- 43.24 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.05). Vegetarians also had lower levels of Lp-PLA2 (18.32 +/- 7.19 10-3 micromol/min/mL vs. 20.22 8.13 10-3 micromol/min/mL; p < 0.05), total cholesterol (180.62 +/- 36.55 mg/dL vs. 192.73 +/- 36.57 mg/dL; p < 0.01), LDL cholesterol (118.15 +/- 32.8 vs. 126.41 +/- 34.28 mg/dL; p < 0.05), and HDL cholesterol (55.59 +/- 13.30 vs. 62.09 +/- 14.52 mg/dL, p < 0.01). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that a vegetarian diet increases the chances for high serum hs-CRP and low Lp-PLA2 activity.
CONCLUSION
In addition to lower total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol, Taiwanese female vegetarians have lower serum Lp-PLA2 activity but higher levels of hs-CRP, homocysteine, and triacylglyerol. It might be due to geographic differences of vegetarian diets, and further studies are needed.

Keyword

Vegetarian diet; risk factors; lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2; C-reactive protein; inflammation

MeSH Terms

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase/*blood
Adult
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
C-Reactive Protein/metabolism
Cholesterol/blood
Cholesterol, HDL/blood
Cholesterol, LDL/blood
*Diet, Vegetarian
Female
Homocysteine/blood
Humans
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Risk Factors
Taiwan
Triglycerides/blood

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