A lipid and lipoprotein profile of treated and untreated diabetics

A group of 149 diabetics and 98 healthy subjects without evidence of diabetes or ischaemic heart disease were studied. Untreated diabetics under 40 years old and 40 years of age and over showed statistically raised fasting serum turbidity, triglycerides, and raised beta and pre-beta lipoprotein levels but not raised cholesterol levels over the age and sex matched normal subjects. Further, some 63% of all diabetics showed a distinct split pre-beta lipoprotein pattern as seen on polyacrylamide disc electrolphoresis as compared with 17% in the control group. Raised lecithin and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) levels were found in male diabetics and raised PE levels in young diabetic women. In patients under treatment with insulin, chlorpropamide, or phenformin the diabetes was well controlled in most cases, but these patients did not have significantly lower lipid levels. Diabetics on a low carbohydrate diet showed improvement in triglycerides and pre-beta lipoprotein levels, but beta lipoproteins were not lowered. It is suggested that diabetics may benefit by the inclusion of clofibrate in the treatment.