Apolipoprotein E polymorphism as a risk factor for vascular disease in diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients as a function of apolipoprotein (apo) E polymorphism.


METHODS
The apo E phenotypes and plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and apo levels were determined for 517 Italian diabetic patients. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (defined as ischemic heart disease [HD] and/or peripheral vascular disease and/or cerebrovascular disease) was assessed as a function of apo E polymorphism at entry and after 4 years.


RESULTS
The occurrence of vascular disease did not differ significantly between diabetic patients in the various categories of apo E phenotype either at entry into the study or after 4 years. When expressed as a percentage of patients with disease, we observed--for E2, E3, and E4 carriers, respectively--at entry: IHD, 20.0% (n = 14), 21.0% (n = 79), and 21.5% (n = 14); and macroangiopathy, 24.3% (n = 17), 29.3% (n = 110), and 24.6% (n = 16). Apo E polymorphism did not make a significant contribution to multiple logistic regression models designed to identify the factors associated with the occurrence of vascular disease in diabetic patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Apo E polymorphism and, notably, the apo E4 allele cannot be universally considered as a particular risk factor for cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E