Low serum LDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes: an analysis on two different patient populations.
BACKGROUND
Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) typically exhibit a pattern of dyslipidemia with high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and small LDL particles. We aimed at investigating whether also LDL cholesterol levels are altered in diabetic patients.


METHODS
Lipid panels were obtained in a consecutive series of angiographied coronary patients (n=750), and in a large sample of hypertensive outpatients (n=5949).


RESULTS
T2DM patients in the cohort of coronary patients (n=164; 21.9%) had significantly higher triglycerides (203±138 vs. 153±91 mg/dl; p<0.001), lower HDL cholesterol (44±14 vs. 50±14 mg/dl; p<0.001), lower apolipoprotein A1 (140±28 vs. 148±28 mg/dl; p=0.002), lower total cholesterol (211±48 vs. 220±42 mg/dl; p=0.006) and, importantly, lower LDL cholesterol (122±38 vs. 134±35 mg/dl; p<0.001) than non-diabetic subjects. Whereas apolipoprotein B was similar in T2DM patients as in non-diabetic subjects (113±26 vs. 114±25 mg/dl; p=0.648), the LDL cholesterol/apolipoprotein B ratio was significantly lower (1.08±0.24 vs. 1.18±0.21; p<0.001) and LDL particles were significantly smaller (257±7 vs. 259±6 Å; p<0.001) in T2DM patients. Also among the hypertensive subjects, diabetic patients (n=1632; 27.3%) besides higher triglycerides (173±70 vs. 151±65 mg/dl; p<0.001) and lower HDL cholesterol (53±17 vs. 57±19 mg/dl; p<0.001) exhibited lower total cholesterol (216±44 vs. 222±41 mg/dl; p<0.001) and lower LDL cholesterol (127±40 vs. 136±37 mg/dl; p<0.001) than non-diabetic subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Both among angiographied coronary patients and hypertensive outpatients, LDL cholesterol is significantly lower in T2DM patients than in non-diabetic individuals.
Saely
Christoph H
CH
Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment (VIVIT), Feldkirch, Austria.
Eber
Bernd
B
Pfeiffer
Karl P
KP
Drexel
Heinz
H
D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D001317:Austria; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001053:Apolipoproteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol