Factors influencing the low density lipoprotein profile in type 2 diabetic patients

The lipoprotein distribution profile was examined in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients (n = 52), with particular emphasis on factors influencing low density lipoproteins (LDL). Triglycerides were negatively correlated with LDL-2 (r = 0.34, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with smaller, denser LDL-3 (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). This yielded a highly significant, negative correlation between triglycerides and the LDL-2/LDL-3 mass ratio (r = -0.59, p < 0.001) which is an indication of the presence of smaller LDL particles. Parameters of glycaemic control, in the form of fasting blood sugar and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), were also negatively correlated with the LDL-2/LDL-3 mass ratio in univariate analyses; both remained significantly correlated with the mass ratio when corrected for triglycerides. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified a three-parameter model comprising triglycerides, HbA1c, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol as best defining the variations in the LDL-2/LDL-3 mass ratio (adjusted r2 = 0.52). These observations are consistent with an independent impact of diabetes on the LDL distribution profile and the possibility that the latter may be subjected to multiple pathological influences in diabetic patients.