Profile of apolipoprotein B and triglycerides in type 2 diabetics in Pointe Noire, Congo

Diabetes is associated with a high risk of vascular disease (2 to 4 times higher than in people without diabetes), with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to establish the profile of apolipoprotein B and triglycerides in people with type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study. 85 diabetics were studied for their lipid profile, as well as for apo B and ApoA1 levels. Results: There was a male predominance in 80% of cases, with an average age of 48. Elevated apolipoprotein B was the most common lipid disorder, occurring in 40% of patients studied, and HTG in 25.9%. Notably, 1% of patients had normal triglyceride levels accompanied by increased apolipoprotein B, compared to 15% of patients with normal LDL-c and high apo B levels, and 24% of cases with high apolipoprotein B and high triglycerides. Triglycerides and apolipoprotein B (r= 0.64) were strongly correlated, and their increases in type 2 diabetes in our study strongly influenced lipid distribution. Conclusion: The lipid abnormalities usually found in type 2 diabetics are hypertriglyceridaemia and hypoHDLemia. In our population, we found that apolipoprotein B is the most common lipid disorder in type 2 diabetes. It identifies individuals at high risk of coronary heart disease who are not detected in routine lipid profiling.