Serum lipid and lipoprotein levels and metabolic control in insulin-treated diabetics

Serum lipid and lipoprotein levels were evaluated in 50 insulin-treated diabetic out-patients (25 male and 25 female) and in 46 normal volunteers (22 male and 24 female). In these groups metabolic evaluation was carried out by assaying fasting plasma glucose, glucose in urine and glycosylated hemoglobin (G-HbA1). No differences were observed in the lipid and lipoprotein patterns between diabetic patients and normals. HDL values were significantly lower in male subjects, diabetic and normal, as compared to females, but there were no differences between the diabetic and the normal group. G-HbA1 was significantly correlated to fasting plasma glucose and glucose in urine, but also to WS-TG and VLDL-TG. Fasting plasma glucose too was correlated to WS-TG and VLDL-TG. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between HDL-Ch and WS-TG and VLDL-TG. These results show that sufficiently well-controlled insulin-treated diabetics do not have altered plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. In particular, in these patients HDL-Ch values can be normal, because insulin levels are sufficient to activate lipoprotein lipase and to guarantee an adequate plasma VLDL clearance.