Positive Methane-Producing Status Associated With Increased Serum Cholesterol in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Thomas M S Wolever; Judlyn Fernandes; Venketeshwer A Rao; Jean-Louis Chiasson; Robert G Josse; Lawrence A Leiter

doi:10.2337/diacare.18.7.1010

Short Reports

Positive Methane-Producing Status Associated With Increased Serum Cholesterol in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Thomas M S Wolever, DM ,
Judlyn Fernandes, MSC,
Venketeshwer A Rao, PHD,
Jean-Louis Chiasson, MD,
Robert G Josse, FRCP and
Lawrence A Leiter, MD

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario
Centre de Recherche/Hopital Hôtel-Dieu de Montreal and Universite de Montreal Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Thomas M.S. Wolever, DM, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8.

Diabetes Care 1995 Jul; 18(7): 1010-1012. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.18.7.1010

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To determine if those who produce methane (i.e., have presence of methane in breath) have higher serum cholesterol than those who do not produce methane in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We measured breath gases and fasting serum total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels in 21 subjects with IGT.

RESULTS The 11 methane-producers were well matched to the 10 non-methane-producers for age, sex, and body mass index. Methane-producers had higher fasting serum total (6.5 ± 0.3 vs. 5.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l; P < 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein (4.3 ± 0.3 vs. 3.4 ± 0.2 mmol/l; P < 0.05) cholesterol concentrations with no difference in TG or HDL levels.

CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that in subjects with IGT, positive methane-producing status may be associated with increased serum cholesterol levels.