Dyslipidaemia among black patients with type 2 diabetes

To analyse the lipid profile of black patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) irrespective of duration or control of the disease.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the lipid profile of 62 black patients with type 2 DM. Clinical examination, fasting blood specimens for biochemistry, and urine analysis for proteinuria was determined in all patients.

Only 25% of patients had adequately controlled blood pressure (BP < 140/90). Mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 10.9 mmol/l (HbA1c: 10.6%). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.5. The total number of patients with diabetic dyslipidaemia (DD) was 56 (90.3%). Significant differences between men and women were noted for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (0.99 vs 1.22 mmol/l, p = 0.005) and triglycerides (TG) (2.7 vs 1.8 mmol/l, p = 0.045), respectively. The commonest isolated abnormality was high LDL-C (66.1%) followed by low HDL-C (60.7%) and then high TG (57.1%).

Over 90% of the black patients with type 2 DM displayed one or more features of DD affecting all major subclasses of cholesterol and triglyceride. The most frequent abnormality depicted by these patients was not the 'typical' DD (i.e. low HDL and high TG) often reported in other ethnic groups.