Some biochemical indices of diabetic vascular disease

Some biochemical indices related to diabetic complications were assessed in 86 diabetics and results compared with 20 normal controls. Cholesterol, beta-lipoprotein, and plasma fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in with vascular complications when compared with normal controls. Triglycerides were elevated in all groups, bi in patients with retinopathy and venous dilation. There was a suggestion that triglycerides were related in dietary carbohydrate in maturity onset diabetics. It appears therefore that elevation of lipids is correlated with the features of diabetic vascular disease. Elevation of lipids secondary to nephropathy establishes a vicious cycle in the course of the disease. Higher levels of lipids can also explain the increased platelet adhesiveness and aggregation

effect of sulphonylureas on total HDL cholesterol and subfractions HDL2C and HDL3C in type II diabetic patients

The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of sulphonyhireas on senlni HDL-cholesterol and its subJracdials ill type diabetes mellitus. Sixty three non-obese, newly diagnosed diabetic patients with a short history of disease were studied before and after treatment with sulphaiyhireas for a period of 6 months. We observed highly significant increases in total HDL and HDL-cholesterol after therapy. The HDL3 cholesterol did not change after therapy in the majority of patients and post-therapy rise of total HDL- cholesterol was almost entirely due to a rise in HDL2 cholestrol. Thus, we may conclude that HDL2 cholesterol is more important than HDL-cholesterol in the causation of atherosclerosis. The HDL2 cholesterol levels may predict the development of coronary atherosclerosis