Plasma and lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride in the Pima Indian population. Comparison of diabetics and nondiabetics.

Lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were compared in diabetic and nondiabetic Pima Indians, a homogeneous population with a high occurrence of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Data were available on 690 subjects with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. Total and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides were approximately 150% of the nondiabetic values, but very few diabetics had pronounced hypertriglyceridemia. Significant elevations in low density lipoprotein (LDL) triglyceride were also observed in diabetic men and women of all ages. Decreases in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were similar in diabetic men and women, and the differences in HDL cholesterol were much greater in less obese individuals. Changes in HDL in the diabetics were reflected in all three subfractions, HDL2b, HDL2a, and HDL3. Both total and LDL cholesterol were elevated in diabetic women, but not in diabetic men. Thus, there were greater changes in lipoprotein distribution in diabetic women. When multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships in diabetics between lipoproteins and other variables, plasma glucose appeared to be the variable most closely associated with plasma lipoproteins in diabetics (positive with VLDL and LDL, negative with HDL). In diabetics, obesity was correlated with HDL but not VLDL, whereas alcohol consumption appeared to be associated with VLDL but not HDL.