Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Metabolic Syndrome in the Urban South Indian Population

Introduction: Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a major cause of dyslipidaemia and heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors that come together in a single individual. Hence, in the present study, the occurrence of metabolic syndrome among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients by the WHO criteria has been carried out. The risk factors were compared between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with and without metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: Eighty seven, age matched, type 2 diabetic patients who attended a diabetic clinic were included in this study. They were grouped as diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetic patients without metabolic syndrome, based on the WHO criteria. The biochemical parameters like fasting blood sugar (FBS), post prandial blood sugar (PPBS) and lipid profile were estimated by using diagnostic kits. The blood pressure (BP) was measured and the body mass index (BMI) and the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were calculated. Statistical analysis was done by the Student's t test. Results: The occurrence of metabolic syndrome among the type 2 diabetic patients was 33%. A significant increase was seen in triglycerides (TGLs), very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs), the TGL/HDL ratio, AIP, BP and BMI and a decrease was observed in the high density lipoproteins (HDLs) of type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome when compared with the type 2 diabetic patients without metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: The significant increase in the TGLs, the TGL/HDL ratio, AIP, BP and the BMI of diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome when compared to the type 2 diabetic patients without metabolic syndrome, predicts that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk level for coronary heart disease (CHD).