Lipid profile correlates with glycemic control in young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Data on dyslipidemia in type 1 diabetes is scarce. The authors aimed to evaluate the lipid profile in patients with type 1 diabetes and its correlation to glycemic control. Ninety-four subjects (53.2% males), aged 15.4+/-4.7 (3.6-21.9 years), with disease duration of 5.0+/-3.6 years (0.3-17 years) were evaluated for heart rate, blood pressure, height, and weight. Laboratory data included total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TGs), glycemia, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), creatinine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, antithyroid antibodies, and 24-hour microalbuminuria. Correlations were performed by the Spearman rank correlation test, and the significance level was <0.05. Mean values were TC, 168.6+/-46.6 mg/d; HDL, 43.1+/-15.3 mg/dL; LDL, 110.9+/-40.6 mg/dL; TGs, 78.3+/-48.6 mg/dL; glycemia, 204.6+/-116.7 mg/dL; and HbA1c, 11.2%+/-2.9%. High TC (43.9% vs. 10.7%; p<0.002) and LDL (51.5% vs. 10.7%; p<0.01) were more prevalent in patients 19 years and younger (n=66). HbA1c correlated with TC (r=0.30; p=0.004), LDL (r=0.28; p=0.008), TG (r=0.31; p=0.003), and TG/HDL ratio (r=0.25; p=0.01). Duration of diabetes correlated with LDL (r=0.21; p=0.04) and insulin daily doses with TG (r=0.23; p=0.04) and body mass index expressed as z scores (r=-0.28; p=0.007). There was a high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (54.6%) in these diabetic patients, and lipid fraction levels were correlated with HbA1c. Good management of diabetes seems to be of paramount importance in controlling dyslipidemia.