Changes in HDL Cholesterol and in the Inflammatory Markers of Atherogenesis After an Oral Fat Load in Type-2 Diabetic Patients and Normal Individuals

Abstract Background: Type-2 diabetic patients exhibit postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Several inflammatory markers are also risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) and number of leukocytes. There is a relationship between the increase in triglycerides and that of leukocytes in the postprandial period. Our objective was to evaluate whether the lipid changes in the postprandial period are related to changes in the inflammatory markers of atherogenesis in type-2 diabetic patients. Methods: Lipids, ultrasensitive CRP, and leukocyte count were analyzed during fasting and after a meal containing 56 g of fat. Results: There was a decrease in HDL-cholesterol at five hours in the control group and at three and five hours in the diabetic group, and an increase in triglycerides at both three and five hours in the two groups, the latter being more evident at five hours in the diabetic patients. The decrease in HDL-cholesterol in the diabe...