Biological sex‐related differences in the postprandial triglyceride response to intermittent hypoxaemia in young adults: a randomized crossover trial
Authors: Goulet Nicholas , Marcoux Caroline , Bourgon Vincent , Morin Renée , Mauger Jean‐François , Amaratunga Ruwan , Imbeault Pascal 
Published: January 2024

Obstructive sleep apnoea is characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxaemia and is independently associated with an increased risk of metabolic comorbidities (e.g. type II diabetes and ischaemic heart disease). These comorbidities could be attributable to hypoxaemia‐induced alterations in blood lipid profiles. However, it remains unclear whether intermittent hypoxaemia alters triglyceridaemia differently between biological sexes. Therefore, we used a randomized crossover design to examine whether 6 h of moderate intermittent hypoxaemia (15 hypoxaemic cycles/h, 85% oxyhaemoglobin saturation) alters plasma triglyceride levels differently between men and women after a high‐fat meal. Relative to men, women displayed lower levels of total triglycerides, in addition to denser triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein triglycerides (TRL‐TG; mainly very low‐density lipoprotein triglycerides and chylomicron remnant triglycerides) and buoyant TRL‐TG (mainly chylomicron triglycerides) during normoxia (ambient air) and intermittent hypoxaemia (sex × time: all P ≤ 0.008). Intermittent hypoxaemia led to higher triglyceride levels (condition: all P ≤ 0.016); however, this effect was observed only in men (sex × condition: all P ≤ 0.002). Compared with normoxia, glucose levels were higher in men and lower in women during intermittent hypoxaemia (sex × condition: P < 0.001). The different postprandial responses between biological sexes occurred despite similar reductions in mean oxyhaemoglobin saturation and similar elevations in insulin levels, non‐esterified fatty acid levels and mean heart rate (sex × condition: all P ≥ 0.185). These results support growing evidence showing that intermittent hypoxaemia impacts men and women differently, and they might help to explain biological sex‐related discrepancies in the rate of certain comorbidities associated with intermittent hypoxaemia.

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Key points

Intermittent hypoxaemia is a key characteristic of obstructive sleep apnoea and alters lipid metabolism in multiple tissues, resulting in increased circulating triglyceride levels, an important risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases.

Circulating triglyceride levels are regulated differently between biological sexes, with women typically displaying much lower fasting and postprandial triglyceride levels than men, partly explaining why women of all ages experience lower mortality rates from cardiometabolic diseases.

In this study, healthy young men and women consumed a high‐fat meal and were then exposed to 6 h of intermittent hypoxaemia or ambient air.

We show that postprandial triglyceride levels are significantly lower in women compared with men and that intermittent hypoxaemia leads to higher postprandial triglyceride levels in men only.

These results might help us to understand better why women living with obstructive sleep apnoea experience lower rates of cardiometabolic diseases (e.g. type II diabetes and ischaemic heart disease) than men living with obstructive sleep apnoea.