Islet cell antibodies at diagnosis, but not leanness, relate to a better cardiovascular risk factor profile 5 years after diagnosis of NIDDM.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between islet cell antibodies (ICAs) and the cardiovascular risk profile 5 years after clinical diagnosis of NIDDM.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Five years after clinical diagnosis, we evaluated blood pressure (BP) and lipids in 17 NIDDM patients with ICA at diagnosis (age 60 +/- 4 years) and 133 NIDDM patients without ICA at diagnosis (age 61 +/- 1 year). Urinary albumin excretion was evaluated in a subset of 12 NIDDM patients with ICA at diagnosis (age 60 +/- 4 years) and 82 NIDDM patients without ICA at diagnosis (age 61 +/- 1 year).

RESULTS

NIDDM patients without ICA showed higher BP (140/86 +/- 2/1 mmHg vs. 128/79 +/- 3/2 mmHg; P < 0.05), total cholesterol (6.10 +/- 0.11 vs. 5.09 +/- 0.29 mmol/l; P < 0.01), LDL-to-HDL ratio (3.85 +/- 0.14 vs. 2.49 +/- 0.18; P < 0.001), and triglycerides (2.58 +/- 0.24 vs. 0.90 +/- 0.06 mmol/l; P < 0.001), lower HDL cholesterol (1.08 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.40 +/- 0.08 mmol/l; P < 0.001), and higher urinary albumin excretion (0.16 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.01 g/24 h; P < 0.05) than NIDDM patients with ICA. Among NIDDM patients without ICA, no differences concerning BP or lipids were found between obese and nonobese patients.

CONCLUSIONS

ICA at diagnosis of NIDDM is a marker of more favorable cardiovascular risk profile 5 years after clinical diagnosis.