BEZAFIBRATE AFFECTS LIPID, LIPOPROTEIN AND APOLIPOPROTEIN PATTERN IN NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETIC-PATIENTS

To assess bezafibrate efficacy in a diabetic population a single-blind randomized study was performed in 32 diet-resistant type IIb hyperlipidaemic non-insulin-dependent (NID) diabetic patients in good metabolic control (HbA1c < 8 %) compared to a placebo group. In our diabetic patients one month treatment of 400 mg/day bezafibrate lowered plasma C (- 14 %) and TG (- 37 %) and globally reduced the VLDL particles and VLDL lipids (- 37 % for C, - 56 % for TG and - 25 % for PL), raising VLDL C/TG ratio (+ 46 %), redistributing TG from VLDL to LDL (+ 10 %) and mainly in HDL (+ 49 %), lowered LDL-C and Apo B levels and increased HDL-C together with Apo A1 (+ 19 % and + 13 %) and Apo A1/Apo. B (+ 72 %). PL were raised by bezafibrate treatment and were redistributed from VLDL (- 25 %) to LDL (+ 25 %) and HDL (+ 18 %), while PL/C ratio increased in VLDL and in LDL (+18 % and + 50 % respectively). Bezafibrate use was safe and improved the lipid pattern and the apolipoprotein and lipid distribution in the lipoproteins, producing a less atherogenic pattern in our NID diabetics.