[Different levels of lipoprotein Lp(a) in adult diabetic patients depending on the therapeutic regimen].

A total of 60 newly admitted hospital patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus and normal kidney function were studied. They were either treated only with a diet (group I), or also with blood-sugar lowering sulfonylureas (group II). Some patients had become insulin-dependent (group III). It was found that the mean serum concentration of lipoprotein Lp(a) was significantly increased in patients in groups II and III, but not in group I, as compared to the median of the group of 51 normal controls. All three groups of diabetics showed normal LDL cholesterol levels but lowered HDL cholesterol values, most pronouncedly in group II. Groups I and II, but not group III, showed a significant increase of the mean serum concentration of triglycerides and of the mean values for the LDL/HDL ratio as compared to normal controls. A correlation between the serum concentration of Lp(a) on the one hand, and the HbA1 value, LDL cholesterol, VLDL, HDL cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol on the other, cannot be found for any of the three groups of diabetics.