Plasma lipids and VLDL composition in male non-insulin dependent diabetic patients: relation with HbA1c levels.

In this study, plasma lipids and VLDL composition were measured in 22 middle aged male patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes and compared with 15 non-diabetic controls. Data for the diabetics were differentiated on the basis of hemoglobin A1c levels of less than or greater than 7%. Compositional abnormalities of VLDL were more frequent in the diabetic patients with HbA1c of > 7%. VLDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids were elevated in all diabetics whereas VLDL-Apo B was increased only in diabetics with HbA1c > 7%. Apo CII and Apo CIII levels and also apo CII/apo CIII ratio were also reduced with HbA1c levels of more than 7%. Increases in the apo E and apo E/apo C ratio were also seen in the more hyperglycemic diabetics with HbA1c levels of > 7%. In contrast apo CII and apo CIII levels and also apo CII/apo CIII ratio remained unaltered in diabetic patients with less than 7% HbA1c levels. In these patients increases in the apo E levels were found while the apo E/apo C ratio remained unaltered.