Correlation of Anthropometry With Plasma Atherogenicity Indices in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction Diabetes mellitus is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency, leading to complications in vital organs. Among these, dyslipidemia is common, presenting as low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), high triglycerides (TG), Apolipoprotein-B (Apo-B), and small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) predominance, collectively known as diabetic dyslipidemia. To assess the atherogenic risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes, the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and atherogenic coefficient (AC) provide valuable insights beyond routine lipid tests. AIP, calculated as log (serum TG/serum HDL-c), correlates positively with the occurrence and severity of diabetic microvascular complications. The AC ((total cholesterol (TC)-HDL-c)/HDL-c) serves as an atherogenicity marker. Waist circumference (WC), reflecting central adiposity and body mass index (BMI), are directly related to both AIP and AC, making them useful non-invasive tools to monitor atherogenicity and predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk independently of each other in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Material and methods This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Medicine of a tertiary care hospital. It included 100 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients more than 18 years of age, including both males and females. Observation and results In our study, there were 42 (42%) males and 58 (58%) females. The mean WC of males and females were 105.40 and 100.98 cm, respectively. The mean for BMI, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was 28.83 kg/m2, 8.58%, and 100.62 mg/g, respectively. There was positive Pearson's correlation between AIP and WC of males and females (r = 0.324 and 0.269), AC and WC of males and females (r = 0.139 and 0.097), BMI and AIP (r = 0.350), BMI and AC (r = 0.214), HbA1c and AIP (r = 0.207), HbA1c and AC (r = 0.216), UACR and AIP (r = 0.218), and UACR and AC (r = 0.237). Conclusion This study concludes that there is a positive correlation between anthropometric measures, such as WC and BMI, and plasma atherogenicity indexes, including the AIP and AC. This finding suggests that clinicians can effectively use these non-invasive measurements (BMI and WC) to estimate the presence of dyslipidemia and atherogenicity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus during routine outpatient care. Early identification of these risk factors allows for timely lifestyle interventions such as dietary modifications and increased physical activity, which could potentially reduce the risk of future cardiovascular diseases.