Triglyceride predicts cardiovascular mortality and its relationship with glycaemia and obesity in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.
BACKGROUND
To examine the lipid profile in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients and their relationship with anthropometric parameters, glycaemic control and cardiovascular mortality.


METHODS
A consecutive cohort of 562 newly referred patients with type 2 diabetes to a hospital-based diabetes centre were examined in 1996. Subjects treated with lipid lowering drugs at the time of referral were excluded. A total of 517 subjects were followed up over a mean (+/-SD) period of 4.6 +/- 0.9 years. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin and lipid profile and anthropometric parameters were documented at the time of recruitment. Cardiovascular mortality, mainly due to coronary heart disease and stroke, was ascertained using death registry and review of hospital case notes in 2001.


RESULTS
Of the 517 subjects (mean age of 54.0 +/- 14.0 years), 42.6% were men. In this cohort, 63.3% of subjects were either overweight (BMI > or = 23 kg/m2) or obese (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) using Asian criteria. The mean (+/-SD) total cholesterol (TC), LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) and geometric mean (x// antilog SD) of triglycerides (TG) were 5.6 +/- 1.3 mmol/L, 3.6 +/- 1.1 mmol/L, 1.3 +/- 0.3 mmol/L and 1.46x//1.90 mmol/L respectively. TC and LDL-C correlated positively with HbA1c, HDL-C negatively with BMI and WC (waist circumference), while TG positively with HbA1c, BMI, WC and HOMA (insulin resistance estimated using the homeostasis model assessment). During the 4.6 years follow-up period, there were 61 deaths giving a total mortality rate of 11.4%, of which 15 (25%) were because of cardiovascular events. Apart from age and disease duration, logarithm of TG was significantly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.049, relative risk = 2.97, 95% CI 1.00-8.77).


CONCLUSIONS
Chinese type 2 diabetic patients had a lower prevalence of obesity, lower TG and higher HDL-C than Caucasian patients. Despite the low incidence of cardiovascular death, TG, which was closely associated with obesity indexes, was significantly associated with cardiovascular death in these patients.
Chan
W B
WB
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Tong
P C Y
PC
Chow
C C
CC
So
W Y
WY
Ng
M C Y
MC
Ma
R C W
RC
Osaki
R
R
Cockram
C S
CS
Chan
J C N
JC
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides