Highlights
- •Mildly elevated unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) might mitigate cardiovascular disease risk factors including overweight/obesity.
- •Gilbert's syndrome(GS) subjects with mildly elevated UCB were metabolically healthier than age- and gender matched controls.
- •The condition of mild hyperbilirubinaemia (GS) seems to protect from age-related weight gain and dyslipidaemia.
Abstract
Background and aims
Mild endogenous elevation of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) as seen in Gilbert's syndrome
(GS), might mitigate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors including overweight/obesity.
This study aimed to determine whether hyperbilirubinaemia is linked to improved anthropometric
data and lipid profile.
Methods
Our study considered GS and age-/gender-matched healthy controls (n = 248). Additionally,
obese female type 2 diabetic patients (DM2) (n = 26) were included as a “disease control
group”.
Results
BMI, hip circumference (HC), and lipid profile were significantly lower in GS. UCB
was inversely correlated with BMI (p <0 .001), HC as well as with fat mass (FM) and lipid variables (p < 0.05). Moreover, DM2 patients had significantly lower UCB compared to GS and healthy
controls. Older GS subjects (≥35 years) had significantly reduced anthropometric data
and improved lipid profile.
Conclusions
Our results propose that the health promoting potential of mild hyperbilirubinaemia
may extend to protection from age-related weight gain and dyslipidaemia.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 14, 2017
Accepted:
December 12,
2017
Received in revised form:
December 12,
2017
Received:
June 8,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
