Coronary heart disease in insulin-dependent (IDDM) and in non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) is associated with lipid and lipoprotein changes favouring atherosclerosis. Whether lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities are associated also with peripheral vascular disease in both types of diabetes is largely unknown. Therefore, we studied lipid and lipoprotein levels and their association with claudication in a representative sample of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects in East Finland. Altogether 87 subjects had IDDM (43 men, 44 women), 264 subjects NIDDM (126 men, 138 women) and 120 subjects were non-diabetic controls (63 men, 57 women). Patients with IDDM had an increased level of HDL and HDL2-cholesterol and patients with NIDDM a decreased level of HDL and HDL2-cholesterol and an increased level of total, LDL and VLDL triglycerides than did non-diabetic subjects. Analyses in both types of diabetes by claudication status revealed that total and LDL-cholesterol and total and VLDL triglycerides tended to be higher and HDL and HDL2-cholesterol lower in those having claudication as compared to those without a claudication symptom. Similarly, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were also more atherogenic in patients with claudication than in those without claudication. In conclusion, our results indicate that in both types of diabetes peripheral vascular disease is associated with lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities favouring atherosclerosis.