LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN PARTICLE-SIZE IS ASSOCIATED WITH GLYCOSYLATEDHEMOGLOBIN LEVELS REGARDLESS OF PLASMA-LIPID LEVELS

We evaluated the influence of the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (H bA(1C)) and fasting plasma glucose on the variation in low density lip oprotein (LDL) peak particle size in 210 subjects who were undergoing an annual check-up. Univariate analysis showed that LDL particle size was significantly and positively correlated with high density lipoprot ein (HDL) cholesterol levels, and was inversely correlated with the le vels of total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, fast ing insulin, HbA(1C), and body mass index (BMI), Stepwise regression a nalysis selected four independent contributing variables that could af fect LDL particle size; triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol levels, L DL cholesterol levels, and HbA(1C) levels. Similar regression analysis performed for men and for normotensive subjects showed that HbA(1C) l evels also independently influenced LDL particle size. The results ind icate that HbA(1C) levels have a significant effect on LDL particle si ze, This suggests that small LDL particles would be present in subject s with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus regardless of plasma li pid concentrations.