Postprandial plasma glucose excursion is associated with an atherogenic lipid profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a prevalent complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The atherogenic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is an established risk factor of cardiovascular disease, and evidence also suggests that postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) levels closely delineate CHD mortality in diabetes. The investigators hypothesized that postprandial plasma glucose excursion (PPGE), defined as the difference between 2-hour PPG and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), may be associated with plasma LDL cholesterol levels in patients with T2DM. This study enrolled diabetic participants for whom FPG and lipid profile were sampled after a 12-hour fast, followed by PPG sampling two hours after consuming a standard meal with 75 grams of carbohydrates. The study enrolled 379 participants who were divided into PPGE tertiles according to the difference between their 2-hour PPG and FPG. Participants in the highest PPGE tertile had considerably greater plasma LDL cholesterol levels than patients in the lowest tertile (126.7 mg/dL vs. 99.5 mg/dL, P <0.001). Linear regression analysis also demonstrated that the PPGE was positively correlated with plasma LDL cholesterol levels (beta coefficient: 0.165, P < 0.001). Postprandial glucose excursion positively correlated with plasma LDL cholesterol levels in individuals with T2DM. Participants with raised PPGE harbored greater LDL cholesterol levels than those with lower postprandial glucose fluctuations. Therefore, postprandial glucose excursion is associated with an atherogenic lipid profile and may be a modifiable risk factor of diabetic CHD.