Serum lipids, lipoproteins and macrovascular disease in non-insulin-dependent diabetics: a possible new approach to prevention.

The relationship between macrovascular disease and serum lipids, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), and subfraction cholesterol, and apolipoproteins has been examined in 53 female and 95 male patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In males, those with macrovascular disease had higher serum and LDL cholesterol concentrations than those without. In females, those with macrovascular disease had higher levels of serum triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, as well as lower HDL, HDL2, and HDL3 cholesterol and apoprotein A-1, than those without. On multivariate analysis, LDL cholesterol was the most important association with macrovascular disease in males and apoprotein A-1 in females. In a subgroup of 36 patients, a double-blind placebo controlled study using bezafibrate or placebo, in addition to conventional oral hypoglycaemic therapy over 4 months, showed falls in serum and LDL cholesterol and in serum triglyceride and a rise in HDL cholesterol in the treated group. These changes should reduce the incidence of macrovascular disease in NIDDM and we suggest further prospective studies of such therapy in addition to conventional oral hypoglycaemic agents.