Endocrine Abstracts

Aims: HDL have many diverse functions. The goal of this study was to determine the differential effect of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) on the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition, this study determined the association between the ratio of HDL-C to apoA-I (HA) and incident T2D.

Methods: A total of 27 988 subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (18 266 men and 9722 women) aged 21 to 91 years (mean age 43.5 years) were followed for a mean duration of 2.81 years.

Results: The study subjects were divided into four groups according to median HDL-C or apoA-I concentrations: lower HDL-C and upper apoA-I (LU group), lower HDL-C and apoA-I (LL group), upper HDL-C and apoA-I (UU group), and upper HDL-C and lower apoA-I (UL group). The LU group had the least favorable metabolic profile and the UL group had the most favorable metabolic profile. The LU group was associated with the highest incidence of T2D independently of other risk factors for T2D and serum triglyceride concentrations, while the UL group had the lowest incidence of T2D. In addition, incident cases of T2D decreased as the HA ratio increased independently of other risk factors for T2D and serum triglyceride concentrations.

Conclusion: High HDL-C combined with low apoA-I was associated with a low incidence of T2D in patients with IFG. However, the protective effect of HDL-C lessened as apoA-I increased.