Dyslipidaemia and coagulation defects of insulin resistance

Among the traditional risk factors, dyslipidaemia and coagulation disorders play an important role in increasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The lipid abnormalities of patients with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes include increased triglycerides, lower high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and the predominance of small dense low density lipoprotein (LDL)-particles. The composition of HDL particles is different from healthy controls and the concentration of the larger, more anti-atherogenic particles is decreased in patients with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Subgroup analyses of several large studies have shown that lowering LDL-cholesterol with statin treatment decreased cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. In other studies, gemfibrozil decreased cardiovascular events in a subgroup of patients with diabetes, although the decreases were not always statistically significant. Platelets from patients with diabetes are more sensitive to several aggregating agents, have increased numbers of glycoprotein receptors and a lower activity of guanylate cyclase. These factors may contribute to the documented hyperreactivity of platelets in patients with type 2 diabetes. Other factors in patients with type 2 diabetes include alterations in serum fibrinogen, PAI-1, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPa) and factors V, II and VII, which have all been linked to the risk of myocardial infarction. Increased D-dimer, von Willebrand factor (vWf) antigen, A-II anti-plasmin and decreased anti-thrombin III were also reported in patients with type 2 diabetes. This pro-thrombotic risk profile of the circulating blood in type 2 diabetes patients, together with the lipid abnormalities, contributes to the increased risk of vascular events in this population.