Dyslipidemia in adolescents and young adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a retrospective analysis

Youth onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing and associated with earlier vascular complications and mortality. Dyslipidemia is an important modifiable cardiovascular (CVD) risk factor that is under-recognized and undertreated in youth with T1D and T2D. Given this, we evaluated the prevalence and associations between lipid concentrations and clinical CVD risk factors in youth with T1D compared to T2D at our large ethnically diverse diabetes center.

A retrospective chart review was performed, evaluating patients with T1D or T2D seen at least once in clinic from 2015 to 2017, age 10-22 years of age, duration of diabetes at least 6 months on the date of most recent LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration, and not on statin therapy. We performed independent and multivariable linear regressions of LDL-C and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations.

There were 32.7% with T1D (n = 1701) and 47.7% with T2D (n = 298) with LDL-C above recommend goal (> 100 mg/dL/2.6 mmol/L). Furthermore, there were 9% with T1D and 16.4% with T2D with LDL > 130 mg/dL (> 3.4 mmol/L), who likely met criteria for starting statin therapy. Higher LDL-C and/or lower HDL-C were associated with increased age, diabetes duration, higher HbA1C, female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, obesity, and T2D. After adjusting for these risk factors in a multivariable linear regression model, the association of higher LDL-C and lower HDL-C was higher with T2D than T1D.

This highlights the need for more aggressive dyslipidemia screening and treatment in youth with diabetes, especially T2D. At our institution we have created and instituted quality improvement algorithms to try to address this need.