Abstract
Recently, high levels Of plasma Lipoprotein (a)[Lp (a)] have been considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, which is the most common complication of diabetes. Therefore, fasting plasma Lp (a) levels were measured by ELISA kits [TERUMO Macra Lp (a)] in 114 NIDDM patients (60 men aged 55±1.1, 54 women aged 58±1.3), 20 NIDDM patients with renal insufficiency and 56 healthy subjects. Plasma Lp (a) levels in diabetics were significantly higher than those of controls (20.2±1.7 vs 10.8±1.1mg/dl, mean±SE). There was no significant correlation between plasma Lp (a) levels in diabetics and other factors such as age, sex, body mass index, diabetic duration and plasma levels of HbA1c, FRA and lipids except for LDL-C. But a significant positive correlation was found between the change in Lp (a) levels and HbA1c levels [ΔLp (a) vs ΔHbA1c, rs=0.292, P<0.01] in 75 patients, in whom plasma Lp (a), HbA1c and FRA levels were traced for 1 to 12 months. A significant correlation was found between plasma Lp (a) levels and stage of nephropathy. We therefore conclude that NIDDM patients have high levels of plasma Lp (a) and that glycemic control can effectively reduce them.
