Apolipoprotein-defined and NMR lipoprotein subclasses in the veterans affairs diabetes trial.

Aims: The VADT was a randomized clinical trial designed to assess the effect of intensive vs. standard glucose management on cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetes. At the end of the study, intensive management failed to improve outcomes. We performed plasma lipoprotein subclass analyses to yield new information on the effects of study randomization on cardiovascular risk.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of a subset of the VADT (740 men: 368 intensive; 372 standard), conducted at least six months (mean±SD: 2.1±0.8years) post-randomization. Conventional lipids, apolipoprotein-defined (ADLS) lipoprotein subclasses, ApoCIII, ApoE, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) lipoprotein subclasses were determined.

Results: In intensive vs. standard groups, conventional lipids and ADLS did not differ significantly. However, with intensive treatment, NMR-determined large and medium VLDL subclasses and VLDL diameter were lower, LDL diameter was higher, medium HDL was higher, and small HDL was lower (all p<0.05). Also, ApoCIII levels were lower (p<0.01).

Conclusions: In a subset of diabetic men from the VADT, intensive glucose management did not affect conventional lipids or ADLS, but had some beneficial effects on particle characteristics as defined by NMR and on ApoCIII.