Differences in lipid and lipoprotein levels in white, black and Asian non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetics with hypertension.

We have examined the prevalence of hyperlipidaemia (defined as representing fasting serum cholesterol greater than 7.1 mmol/L; fasting serum triglyceride greater than 2.1 mmol/L) in 188 hypertensive type 2 diabetics of different ethnic groups. The overall prevalence of hyperlipidaemia was 36.0% with hypertriglyceridaemia at 25% being more frequent than hypercholesterolaemia at 19%. Blacks at 20.5% had strikingly less hyperlipidaemia than whites at 43.3% (p less than 0.01) and Asians, at 53.7% (p less than 0.001). This ethnic difference was noted for each variety of hyperlipidaemia, being most marked for hypertriglyceridaemia. Reflecting these data blacks had lower mean triglyceride levels than whites (p less than 0.001) and Asians (p less than 0.01). In addition, blacks had higher HDL-cholesterol than whites (p less than 0.01) and Asians (p less than 0.001) and HDL2-cholesterol was higher in blacks than Asians (p less than 0.001). In summary we have confirmed that in hypertensive type 2 diabetics similar ethnic differences of lipid and lipoprotein levels exist as that in non-diabetics. In light of the common occurrence of hyperlipidaemia in the white and Asian hypertensive type 2 diabetic, it may be appropriate to screen for this abnormality. However, in black hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects this would be less rewarding.