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Study Says Type 2s Don't Benefit as Much From Good Cholesterol
Cholesterol is mostly insoluble in water and travels in the blood stream in the form of lipoproteins. It is carried from the intestinal mucosa to the liver in chylomicrons. In the liver it is converted into low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and takes cholesterol to the body cells, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries it to the liver for excretion. Note that the cholesterol in LDL cholesterol and the cholesterol in HDL cholesterol are identical. The only difference between the two is the carrier molecule (the lipoprote).
German and Swiss researchers have found that high-density lipoprotein, or HDL-so-called "good" cholesterol-does not protect blood vessels in people with type 2 diabetes as well as it does in people who don't have the disease. However, their follow-up experiment, which added doses of extended-release niacin, shows that HDL's efficacy in type 2s might be sharply increased simply by the addition of a daily niacin pill.
HDL, which carries "bad" cholesterol-low-density lipoprotein-away from arteries, is thought to reduce cardiovascular disease by thwarting the build-up of plaque and removing chemicals that damage arterial walls and reduce their flexibility. Medical scientists consider high levels of HDL to be one indicator of a lower risk of heart disease.
Researchers at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland and the Medical School of Hanover in Germany studied 10 non-diabetic patients and 33 people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome to see how HDL affected the health of their blood vessels. (The diabetes patients were already taking cholesterol-lowering medication and had low levels of HDL as well.) The scientists found that the ability of HDL to protect blood vessels in type 2s was "substantially impaired."
To see if they could increase HDL levels and functionality in the people with diabetes, the researchers split the type 2s into two groups, one taking a placebo and the other taking 1,500 mg daily of extended-release niacin. Previous studies had shown that niacin increases HDL and lowers other fats in the blood.
After three months, the type 2s taking the niacin had increased HDL levels and improved vascular function. The placebo group showed no similar increases or improvements.
Given that the study group was extremely small, the Swiss and German researchers will not recommend extended-release niacin as a routine treatment for some type 2s until a much larger, more formal study can confirm their findings.
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Categories: Complications & Care, Diabetes, Medications, Type 2 Issues
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Jan 9, 2010
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Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
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Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
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