The role of non-HDL cholesterol and atherogenic indices in predicting poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetic patients in Basrah, Iraq.

BACKGROUND

Dyslipidaemia is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and it is the major contributor to cardiovascular diseases among type 2 diabetic patients. Despite the fact that several researches have proven the association between glycemic control and dylipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients, the results are rather varied.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study is to investigate the clinical relevance of lipid profile as predictive biochemical model for glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including 329 type 2 diabetic patients was done in Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital, Basrah, Iraq. Brief history, clinical examination, and investigations including fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, and glycosylated hemoglobin were done. HbA1c >7% was considered as poor glycemic control. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between lipid profile and HbA1c level.

RESULTS

Out of 329 diabetic patients, 278 (84.5%) showed poor glycemic control. The univariate analysis showed a significant association between lipid parameters and poor glycemic control. ROC and logistic regression analyses found that TC/HDL (OR: 4.94; 95% CI: 2.35-10.41; P < 0.001) and LDL/HDL (OR: 4.63; 95% CI: 1.96-10.98; P < 0.001) were the only significant independent predictors of glycemic control, while non-HDL cholesterol was a weak predictor of glycemic control despite its significant association (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

LDL/HDL and TC/HDL ratios reveal promising indicators for predicting glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients.