Yukiko Hasegawa1, Mika Hori2, Tomoko Nakagami3, Mariko Harada-Shiba4, Yasuko Uchigata3. 1. Diabetes Center (Internal Medicine III), Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Innovation in Lipidology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. 2. Department of Molecular Innovation in Lipidology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: mihori@ncvc.go.jp. 3. Diabetes Center (Internal Medicine III), Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Molecular Innovation in Lipidology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: mshiba@ncvc.go.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often have hypercholesterolemia, and their serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are not always well-controlled even by statin treatment. The glucose-lowering glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are reported to change the lipid profiles in T2DM patients, but their effects have been unclear. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether GLP-1RAs affect serum cholesterol levels in T2DM patients with/without statin treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the baseline and follow-up (median 119 days) levels of serum lipids, HbA1c, and body mass index (BMI) in 103 and 214 Japanese patients with T2DM in whom GLP-1RAs were initiated (GLP-1RA group) and not initiated (control group), stratified by the use of statins. RESULTS: In the GLP-1RA group, the LDL-C, HbA1c, and BMI significantly decreased; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides did not decrease during follow-up. In the control group, these did not decrease. Among the statin users, the percentage change in LDL-C during follow-up was significantly greater in the GLP-1RA group than that in the control group (-6.5% vs -1.0%, P = .040). In the GLP-1RA group, the percentage reduction in LDL-C was not associated with that in BMI but was associated with that in HbA1c only among the statin users. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that GLP-1RAs reduced the serum LDL-C in Japanese patients with T2DM treated with statins. The percentage reduction in LDL-C by GLP-1RAs was associated with that in HbA1c, but not associated with that in BMI. The combination of GLP-1RAs and statins may be a reasonable therapeutic option in T2DM with dyslipidemia.
BACKGROUND:Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often have hypercholesterolemia, and their serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are not always well-controlled even by statin treatment. The glucose-lowering glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are reported to change the lipid profiles in T2DM patients, but their effects have been unclear. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether GLP-1RAs affect serum cholesterol levels in T2DM patients with/without statin treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the baseline and follow-up (median 119 days) levels of serum lipids, HbA1c, and body mass index (BMI) in 103 and 214 Japanese patients with T2DM in whom GLP-1RAs were initiated (GLP-1RA group) and not initiated (control group), stratified by the use of statins. RESULTS: In the GLP-1RA group, the LDL-C, HbA1c, and BMI significantly decreased; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides did not decrease during follow-up. In the control group, these did not decrease. Among the statin users, the percentage change in LDL-C during follow-up was significantly greater in the GLP-1RA group than that in the control group (-6.5% vs -1.0%, P = .040). In the GLP-1RA group, the percentage reduction in LDL-C was not associated with that in BMI but was associated with that in HbA1c only among the statin users. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that GLP-1RAs reduced the serum LDL-C in Japanese patients with T2DM treated with statins. The percentage reduction in LDL-C by GLP-1RAs was associated with that in HbA1c, but not associated with that in BMI. The combination of GLP-1RAs and statins may be a reasonable therapeutic option in T2DM with dyslipidemia.