Lipid profile of type 2 diabetic patients at a rural tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Diabetic dyslipidaemia is characterized by raised triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein, raised apo-B, and small dense low density lipoprotein particles. Because detection and treatment of dyslipidemia is one means of reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, determination of serum lipid levels in people with diabetes is now considered a standard of care. Lipid profile and fasting blood sugar (FBS) of 113 diabetic subjects were assessed. Dyslipidaemia was defined using the national cholesterol education programme – adult treatment panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. BMI and waist and hip circumferences were measured. The mean total cholesterol (4.07 ± 1.3 vs 4.8 ± 0.8, p = 0.001), high density lipoprotein C (HDL-C) (1.26 ± 0.4 vs 1.45 ± 0.35, p = 0.047), low density lipoprotein C (LDL-C) (2.38 ± 1.1vs 2.93 ± 0.71, p = 0.005) were higher among the female subjects, while triglyceride was higher among the male subjects (1.23 ± 1.1 vs 0.82 ± 0.6, p = 0.068). Fifty-seven diabetic patients had at-least one lipid value or the other outside of the clinical target giving it a prevalence of 50.4%. The most frequent lipid combination was total cholesterol (TC) +HDLC. Among the male subjects, there was significant correlation between the Waist Circumference (WC) and TC (r = 0.560); WC and LDL-C (r = 0.612); WC and triglyceride (TG) (r = -0.386); Hip Circumferenc (HC) and TC (r = 0.595); HC and LDL-C (r = 0.606); BMI and TC (r = 0.641); BMI and LDL-C (r = 0.653) and BMI and TG (r = -0.393). It is important to realise that hyperlipidaemia and the resultant macro vascular disease can develop even in the 'prediabetic phase' of type 2 DM. Hence, early detection and correction of dyslipidaemic state is essential in the management of diabetic patients.