High-density lipoprotein function is associated with atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background and aims: Measures of HDL function are emerging tools for assessing cardiovascular disease (CVD) event risk. HDL-apoA-I exchange (HAE) reflects HDL capacity for reverse cholesterol transport. Methods: HAE was measured in 93 participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and at least one additional CVD risk factor in the Asker and Bærum Cardiovascular Diabetes study. At baseline and after seven years, the atherosclerotic burden was assessed by invasive coronary angiography. Major CVD events were registered throughout the study. Results: Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant inverse association between HAE and atherosclerotic burden. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed a significant association between HAE and a composite of major CVD events when controlling for waist-hip ratio, HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80–1.00 and p=0.040. Conclusions: Despite the relatively small size of the study population and the limited number of CVD events, these findings suggest that HAE provides valuable information in determining CVD risk.