Lipoprotein(a) in patients who have non-insulin-dependent diabetes with and without coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the level of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] contributes to an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).


METHODS
We prospectively evaluated established cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic control, and Lp(a) levels in 53 men with NIDDM and CAD and compared these variables in 42 male patients with NIDDM but without CAD.


RESULTS
The groups were comparable for age, diabetes control, treatment and duration of diabetes, obesity, and other cardiac risk factors. Lp(a) levels did not differ between the groups (12.2 versus 12.4 mg/dL in those with and without CAD, respectively) and were unrelated to age, duration of diabetes, diabetes control, obesity, smoking, hypertension, urinary albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Patients with retinopathy had a higher Lp(a) concentration than did those without retinopathy (24.9 +/- 6.0 versus 10.1 +/- 1.5 mg/dL; P = 0.01). A significant correlation existed between Lp(a) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Routine measurement of Lp(a) level in patients with NIDDM does not seem warranted because no association was found between Lp(a) concentration and CAD in this study population.
Ginier
P
P
University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Deedwania
P
P