Factors associated with plasma lipids and lipoproteins in type 1 diabetes mellitus: the EURODIAB IDDM Complications Study.

AIM: To assess the determinants and prevalence of hyperlipidaemia in Type 1 diabetic patients in the EURODIAB IDDM Complications Study. METHODS: Standardized questionnaire data were obtained and anthropometric and biochemical measurements performed on 3159 Type 1 diabetic patients, randomly selected from 31 diabetes clinics. Plasma lipid levels were determined centrally, using enzymatic methods RESULTS: Plasma total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and HDL subfractions were higher in women than in men, while plasma triglycerides were higher in men (P 3.35 mmol/L) was 45% in men and in women, while plasma triglyceride levels > 1.7 mmol/L were observed in 12% of men and 8% of women. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that lipid levels in Type 1 diabetic patients are strongly influenced by smoking habit and central obesity in a way that is characteristic of the insulin resistance syndrome.