Intestinal absorption area is correlated with cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study aimed to evaluate if the intestinal permeability is associated with overweight/obesity with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS) and correlate intestinal permeability parameters with cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

This was a cross-sectional study that individuals were divided in three groups: 1) controls (n = 34), 2) overweight/obesity (n = 29), and 3) overweight/obesity + MetS (n = 29). Anthropometric and blood biochemical parameters were used to estimate cardiovascular risk factors. Intestinal permeability was evaluated using the lactulose/mannitol test in urine samples analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometry Detection. Correlations between intestinal permeability and anthropometric and biochemical parameters were evaluated using Spearman's correlations (r2). Logistic regression models were performed to elucidate variables associated with intestinal permeability parameters. The percentage of urinary excretion of lactulose, mannitol, and the lactulose/mannitol ratio was similar between the studied groups. The percentage of urinary mannitol excretion was positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (r2 = 0.24, p = 0.23), fasting glucose (r2 = 0.26, p = 0.013), fasting insulin (r2 = 0.25, p = 0.015) and HOMA-IR (r2 = 0.26, p = 0.012). The logistic regression showed fasting insulin was associated with a higher mannitol urinary excretion (AOR = 1.08, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.14).

CONCLUSION

Intestinal permeability was not disrupted in overweight/obesity and MetS, however the results suggest that the increased cardiovascular risk factors were associated with a higher intestinal absorption area. Further studies should investigate other intestinal parameters related to overweight/obesity and MetS in humans.