Lucia Civáňová

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk, although substantial metabolic abnormalities may also occur in individuals with normal body weight. This study compared anthropometric characteristics, body composition, lipid profile, LDL subfractions, inflammatory markers, liver biomarkers, and novel cardiometabolic indices in participants with MetS according to obesity status and characterized the metabolic phenotype of normal-weight participants with MetS. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 188 Slovak adults. Anthropometric, biochemical, lipoprotein, inflammatory, liver function, and cardiometabolic parameters were assessed. Group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, and associations were evaluated by Spearman’s correlation analysis. Results: Compared with controls, participants with MetS had significantly greater adiposity, visceral fat accumulation, atherogenic lipid alterations, elevated inflammatory and liver biomarkers, higher blood pressure, and increased cardiometabolic indices (p < 0.05). Within the MetS group, overweight/obese participants exhibited greater visceral adiposity and higher liver enzyme concentrations, whereas most lipid parameters, LDL subfraction distribution, and several cardiometabolic indices were comparable between weight groups. VAI, TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR, LAP, AIP, and CMI showed strong correlations with visceral adiposity, triglycerides, atherogenic LDL subfractions, and smaller LDL particle size. Conclusions: Obesity worsens body composition and hepatic dysfunction in MetS but has limited impact on several metabolic and atherogenic characteristics. LDL-C concentration alone may not sufficiently reflect the true atherogenic risk. These findings support the metabolically unhealthy normal-weight phenotype and highlight the value of novel cardiometabolic indices and LDL subfraction analysis for improved cardiometabolic risk assessment.

Background/Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the metabolic response of women to a six-week consumption of full-fat sheep milk yogurt, with a focus on cardiovascular risk markers, lipid profile, and subfractions of low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins of both atherogenic and non-atherogenic nature. Methods: A total of 55 women were enrolled in the nutritional intervention after the application of inclusion criteria. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after the six-week intervention period. Lipoprotein subfractions were determined in serum using the Lipoprint System LDL/HDL Subfractions Kit in combination with the Lipoprint^® analyzer. Results: In the group of women over 40 years of age with overweight or obesity, without adjustment for total cholesterol, a significant increase was observed in selected HDL subfractions (intermediate HDL-6, HDL-7 and small HDL-8, HDL-9; p < 0.05), while the small/large HDL ratio, LDL subfractions, and mean LDL particle size remained unchanged (p > 0.05). A decrease in triglycerides, LDL/HDL ratio, TG/HDL ratio, and cardiovascular risk index was recorded, alongside a slight increase in LDL-C and HDL-C levels. After adjustment for total cholesterol (T-C), no significant deterioration in the lipid profile was observed in either the group with normal or elevated T-C levels; in the group with elevated T-C, only the intermediate HDL-7 subfraction increased significantly (p < 0.05). Despite the presence of risk-level values in some parameters already at baseline (VLDL, IDL-A, IDL-B, small HDL), no worsening was observed. Conclusions: Six-week consumption of full-fat sheep milk yogurt did not lead to deterioration of the lipid profile or lipoprotein subfractions. The results suggest a neutral to mildly beneficial effect on selected cardiovascular risk markers.