ISLET-CELL ANTIBODIES AT DIAGNOSIS, BUT NOT LEANNESS, RELATE TO A BETTER CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR PROFILE 5 YEARS AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF NIDDM

OBJECTIVE - To evaluate the relationship between islet cell antibodies (ICAs) and the cardiovascular risk profile 5 years alter clinical dia gnosis of NIDDM.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Five years after clinica l diagnosis, we evaluated blood pressure (BP) and lipids in 17 NIDDM p atients with ICA at diagnosis (age 60 +/- 4 years) and 133 NIDDM patie nts without ICA at diagnosis (age 61 +/- 1 year). Urinary albumin excr etion was evaluated in a subset of 12 NIDDM patients with ICA at diagn osis (age 60 +/- 4 years) and 82 NIDDM patients without ICA at diagnos is (age 61 +/- 1 year). RESULTS - NIDDM patients without ICA showed hi gher BP (140/86 +/- 2/1 mmHg vs. 128/79 +/- 3/2 mmHg; P < 0.05), total cholesterol (6.10 +/- 0.11 vs. 5.09 +/- 0.29 mmol/l; P < 0.01), LDL-t o-HDL ratio (3.85 +/- 0.14 vs. 2.49 +/- 0.18; P < 0.001), and triglyce rides (2.58 +/- 0.24 vs. 0.90 +/- 0.06 mmol/l; P < 0.001), lower HDL c holesterol (1.08 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.40 +/- 0.08 mmol/l; P < 0.001), and hi gher urinary albumin excretion (0.16 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.01 g/24 h ; P < 0.05) than NIDDM patients with ICA. Among NIDDM patients without ICA, no differences concerning BP or lipids were found between obese and nonobese patients. CONCLUSIONS - ICA at diagnosis of NIDDM is a ma rker of more favorable cardiovascular risk profile 5 years after clini cal diagnosis.