Background: Plasma lipid concentrations are related to a variety of attributes in obese subjects, but these relationships have not been extensively examined in type 2 diabetes patients.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on type 2 diabetes patients who had never been treated with antihypertensives, lipid-lowering agents, and oral antidiabetic drugs other than sulfonylureas. Statistical analysis was performed to search for the correlation between lipid profiles and various parameters.
Results: Among diabetic men, the plasma triglyceride (TG) level was positively correlated with the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and alcohol consumption, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was negatively correlated with age and body mass index (BMI). Obese persons and alcohol drinkers were more likely to need pharmacologic treatment for dyslipidemia. Among diabetic women, the plasma TG level was positively correlated with WHR and the duration of diabetes since diagnosis, while HDL-C was negatively correlated with WHR and BMI. The necessity of treatment for dyslipidemia increased with the duration of diabetes.
Conclusion: We recommend a more intensive monitoring of lipid levels in drug-naive diabetic patients who possess the characteristics of alcohol consumption or older age (men), long duration of diabetes (women), and higher BMI or WHR (both genders).