Dyslipidaemia in African Americans, Hispanics and Whites with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension

Aim: To study the pattern of dyslipidaemia in African American, Hispanic, and White patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension. Methods: The data were collected retrospectively on 6450 patients followed in the Harris County Hospital District Community Clinics. The information collected from review of the charts included each patient's age, sex, race, body mass index (b.m.i.), duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, medications, fasting plasma glucose, haemoglobin A(1)c, and fasting lipid profile. Mean lipid and haemoglobin A(1)c levels in the three ethnic groups were compared. The risk of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels was assessed with logistic regression analysis. Results: The results show that in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after correcting for age, sex and b.m.i., African Americans have the lowest serum triglyceride concentrations and Whites have the highest values. This trend holds true even in patients with hypertension and in patients with both hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The risk of having abnormal triglycerides is 74% lower in African Americans, and 42% lower in Hispanics than Whites based on logistic regression model. Despite better glycaemic control, Whites have a greater increase in serum triglyceride concentrations than Hispanics and African Americans. Conclusions: Although African Americans are known to be at higher risk for cardiovascular complications than Whites or Hispanics, they appear to have lower triglyceride concentrations than Whites or Hispanics in the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This suggests that an increased prevalence of other adverse factors must contribute to their heightened cardiovascular risk.