Young diabetics with impaired blood sugar at higher risk for dyslipidemia over time: Study

USA: Higher blood sugar levels in youth with type 2 diabetes are associated with abnormal LDL-C and triglycerides, reveals a recent study in the journal Pediatric Diabetes.

Previous studies have shown the presence of dyslipidemia in youth with type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is a lack of studies examining dyslipidemia over time in youth with T2D and associated risk factors. 

Diabetic dyslipidemia is a cluster of lipoprotein abnormalities characterized by increased low density lipoprotein, triglyceride level and decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. It is extremely common in type 2 diabetes and is a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Considering the above, Ryan P. Brady, Cincinnati Children's Hospital & the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA, and colleagues aimed to evaluate lipids at baseline and follow-up and associated risk factors in youth with type 2 diabetes.

For this purpose, the researchers studied 212 youth with type 2 diabetes at baseline and after an average of 7 years of follow-up in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Abnormal lipids were defined as LDL-C >100, HDL-C <35, or triglycerides >150 (all mg/dL). Participants were evaluated for progression to abnormal lipids (normal lipids at baseline, abnormal at follow-up), regression (abnormal lipids at baseline, normal at follow-up), stable normal and stable abnormal lipids over time for HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides. They also evaluated associations between HbA1c and adiposity over time (area under the curve, AUC) with progression and stable abnormal lipids.