Triglyceride profile in dyslipidaemia of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate ratios of serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels which may indicate postprandial lipid handling and to assess their role as prospective markers of dyslipidaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
Comparative, observational study.


METHODS
Bismillah Taqee Hospital, Karachi from July 2002 till December 2003.


METHODS
The study comprised 160 subjects, including 83 known type 2 diabetics (45 males, 38 females) and 77 age-matched controls (45 males, 32 females). Fasting blood samples were analysed for serum triglycerides and total cholesterol, using automated chemistry analyzer. HDL-C was determined by precipitation method and LDL-C and VLDL-C were estimated by Friedewalds formula. LDL/HDL ratio and TG/HDL ratios were also calculated. The mean values for male and female diabetics were compared with that for the male and female non-diabetics respectively and tested for significance by paired t-test.


RESULTS
Serum triglycerides and VLDL were raised in both male and female diabetics. No significant differences were observed in levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and the LDL/HDL ratio. The mean value of the TG/HDL ratio for male diabetics was higher than that for the male non-diabetics (p=0.39). A statistically significant difference was found in the TG/HDL ratios for the female diabetics and non-diabetics (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, type 2 diabetics showed marked hypertriglyceridaemia and raised TG/HDL ratio. The dyslipidaemia of diabetes predisposes to development of coronary heart disease and, therefore, evaluation of the TG:HDL ratio may provide a good tool to monitor and manage the lipid abnormalities in diabetics.
Department of Biochemistry, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan. sohailrafi425@hotmail.com
Sohail Rafi
SR
Khan
Nishat
N
Ayub
Sohail
S
Nawab
Tahir S
TS
Shamsi
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides