Plasma lipid profiles in relation to diabetic control in Nigerians

Abstract

Plasma lipid profiles — total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids — were studied in relation to two parameters of diabetic control (fasting blood sugar (FBS) for short-term control and glycosylated haemoglobin (HBA1C) for long-term control) in 46 diabetic patients (22 insulin-dependent (IDDM) and 24 non-insulin dependent (NIDDM)) and 22 non-diabetic control subjects. We confirmed the positive correlation between FBS and HBA1C. All diabetic patients had significantly higher triglyceride levels (P < 0.05) than controls, which were not influenced by degree of glycaemic control. NIDDM patients tended to have higher than normal TC levels (P < 0.05). In IDDM. TC level was positively correlated with HBA1C (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). and negative correlations were established between FBS and HDL-cholesterol (r = -0.46, P < 0.02) and the HDL-cholesterol: TC ratio (r = -0.49, P < 0.01), suggesting an increased atherogenic risk with poorer diabetic control.