Glycated albumin and direct low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
BACKGROUND
Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), renal failure, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Lowering glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as well as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) has been associated with a decreased risk of these complications. We evaluated the utility of glycated albumin (GA) and direct LDL-C, 2 novel assay, as compared to HbA1c and calculated LDL-C, in evaluating diabetes control and lipid in a heterogeneous population and in specific subgroups of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
We obtained fasting blood samples and measured HbA1c, GA, and direct LDL-C, as well as other parameters, in a multi-ethnic population of 616 male and female patients with type 2 diabetes and 895 non-diabetic controls.


RESULTS
HbA1c and GA levels, which measure different periods of glycemia, had a correlation of r=0.70 (p<0.001), and mean values in patients were 38.7% and 43.4% higher, respectively, than controls in men, and 41.1% and 40.1% higher, respectively, than controls, in women (both p<0.001). Calculated and direct LDL-C values correlated very highly (r=0.96, p<0.001). The correlations between HbA1c and GA, and between calculated and direct LDL-C were similar for subgroups defined by gender, race, age, and other factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Calculated LDL-C provides an accurate assessment of fasting LDL-C compared with a direct measurement in most subjects, except for those with hypertriglyceridemia, and GA correlates with HbA1c in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and may serve as a reasonable marker of short term diabetic control.
Ai
Masumi
M
Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Otokozawa
Seiko
S
Schaefer
Ernst J
EJ
Asztalos
Bela F
BF
Nakajima
Katsuyuki
K
Shrader
Peter
P
Kathiresan
Sekar
S
Meigs
James B
JB
Williams
Gordon
G
Nathan
David M
DM
D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin