Lipids and diabetes

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Cardiovascular disease is an important adverse occurrence in patients with diabetes. Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. There have been few longitudinal studies of lipid abnormalities in young patients with Type 1 diabetes. In this issue, Maahs et al report on a study in which they evaluated lipid abnormalities in patients with Type 1 diabetes. They found that non-HDL cholesterol was persistently above 130 mg/dL in 28%, ≥ 160 mg/dL in 10.6% and ≥ 190 mg/dL in 3.3%. Medications to lower LDL-cholesterol had been started in only 23/360 patients. These results suggest that although lipid abnormalities are common, treatment is not common in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.