HDL Cholesterol as a Residual Risk Factor for Vascular Events and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether low HDL cholesterol (HDL-c) levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and whether it remains a residual risk factor when attaining low LDL cholesterol (LDL-c) treatment goals or when LDL-c is treated with intensive lipid-lowering therapy.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a prospective cohort study of 1,829 patients with type 2 diabetes included in the Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease (SMART) cohort. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the risk of HDL-c on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Analyses were performed in strata of LDL-c levels (<2.0, 2.0–2.5, and >2.5 mmol/L) and lipid-lowering therapy intensity and were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol, LDL-c, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, and HbA1c.

RESULTS A total of 335 new cardiovascular events and 385 deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 7.0 years (interquartile range 3.9–10.4). No relation was found between plasma HDL-c and cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR] 0.97, 95% CI 0.93–1.01) or all-cause mortality (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.96–1.03). Subgroup analysis supported effect modification by plasma LDL-c levels. In patients with LDL-c levels <2.0 mmol/L, higher HDL-c was related to higher risk for all-cause mortality (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07–1.21). Higher HDL-c was also related to higher risk for cardiovascular events in patients with LDL-c levels <2.0 mmol/L (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07–1.21) in contrast to patients with LDL-c levels between 2.0 and 2.5 mmol/L (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75–0.95) and >2.5 mmol/L (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.91–1.00).

CONCLUSIONS In high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes with LDL-c levels <2.0 mmol/L, higher HDL-c at baseline is unexpectedly related to a higher risk for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in contrast to high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes with LDL-c levels between 2.0 and 2.5 mmol/L.

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No matter how good your lipid profile is as diabetics the guidelines state LDL <2.0 mmol/L, so to attain that level statins are touted, as my HDL is always high thanks to LC according to his study following the prescribed cholesterol guidelines would put me and many others at a higher risk of CV

Graham