Hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, a vicious cycle with atherogenic potential.

This paper reviews and integrates a number of experiments which suggest the existence of a vicious cycle. In this cycle hypertriglyceridemia can lead to insulin resistance even without concomitant obesity or non-insulin dependent diabetes. This insulin resistance may be the basis for the hyperinsulinemia response to a glucose challenge. The hyperinsulinemia can stimulate VLDL-triglyceride production. This increase in production, if it is not accompanied by an equivalent increase in removal, will result in hypertriglyceridemia. The whole cycle would accelerate VLDL-triglyceride turnover and may increase the supply of potentially atherogenic VLDL-remnants.