Fenofibrate Lowers Plasma Triglycerides and Increases LDL Particle Diameter in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes

Subjects with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The typical dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes consists of hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol level, and preponderance of small, dense LDL particles. Epidemiological studies have linked all these lipid abnormalities with CAD. The Diabetes Atherosclerosis Intervention Study (DAIS) has recently reported that treatment with fenofibrate results in favorable changes in the plasma lipid profile and a significant reduction in the progression of CAD in subjects with type 2 diabetes (1). We have now determined the long-term effect of fenofibrate on LDL peak particle diameter in 46 Finnish DAIS study participants with type 2 diabetes. The baseline characteristics in our DAIS subpopulation were similar to those in the whole cohort (2). Subjects were randomly assigned micronized 200 mg fenofibrate once daily ( n =25) or placebo ( n =21) for at least 3 years. Data obtained at randomization were used as the baseline data, and …