Variability in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels linked to diabetes complications, suggests study

A recent retrospective study published in the recent issue of Nature Scientific Reports highlighted how the variability in risk factors such as uric acid and lipid levels can influence the development of complications in the patients with type 2 diabetes.

This research was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Chengdu from 2013 to 2022 and analyzed electronic medical records of 369 diabetic patients to explore these associations. This comprehensive study focused on the variability of risk factors that was presented as the standard deviation (SD) and its impact on the diabetic complications. The study identified key factors that contribute to the complications by employing a binary logistic regression model.

One significant finding was that outpatient special disease management served as a protective factor against the development of complications with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.53 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.29 to 0.10. This management approach was particularly effective in preventing diabetic peripheral neuropathy with an OR of 0.51 and a 95% CI of 0.30 to 0.86.

Also, the variability in total cholesterol levels (TC-SD) was observed to be a significant risk factor. The patients with higher variability in their cholesterol levels were more likely to develop complications with an OR of 2.42 and a 95% CI of 1.18 to 4.97. This variability also posed a specific risk for diabetic peripheral vasculopathy with an OR of 2.50 and a 95% CI of 1.25 to 5.02.

The findings of this study underline the dual importance of glycemic control and lipid regulation in managing type 2 diabetes. While outpatient special disease management proves beneficial in reducing the risk of complications as the management of lipid levels is crucial for patients, especially the patients who were not under such specialized care. Outpatient special disease management significantly reduce the risk of overall complications and specifically diabetic peripheral neuropathy. High variability in total cholesterol levels is linked to an elevated risk of both general diabetic complications and diabetic peripheral vasculopathy.

The study advocates for a comprehensive approach to diabetes care by emphasizing the regulation of lipid levels alongside glycemic control to delay or prevent the onset of complications. The findings could influence the future guidelines and patient management strategies in diabetes care which could potentially lead to better outcomes for patients.

Source:

Chen, M., Pu, L., Gan, Y., Wang, X., Kong, L., Guo, M., Yang, H., Li, Z., & Xiong, Z. (2024). The association between variability of risk factors and complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study. In Scientific Reports (Vol. 14, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56777-w