OBJECTIVE-To determine if lipoprotein particle abnormalities correlate with arterial stiffness in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).STUDY DESIGN-In this case-control study, we evaluated 70 children, 35 with T1D and 35 controls, ages 10-18 years, matched for age, sex, race, and BMI. Arterial stiffness was assessed by radial tonometry (AI 75 ) and blood was collected for lipoprotein subclass analysis.RESULTS-T1D subjects had increased AI 75 , decreased small LDL particle concentration (P=0.0067), increased large LDL particle concentration (P=0.007), increased large HDL particle concentration (P=0.0012), increased mean LDL particle size (P=0.0028), and increased mean HDL particle size (P<0.0001) compared to controls. No significant correlations were found between lipoprotein subclasses and arterial stiffness in T1D subjects.CONCLUSIONS-T1D subjects have increased arterial stiffness when compared to controls, despite a less pro-atherogenic lipoprotein profile, indicating the need to identify other risk factors that correlate with arterial stiffness in T1D youth.
KeywordsType 1; Adolescents; Children; Arterial Stiffness; Lipoprotein Particles Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a well-established risk factor for the development of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). 1, 2, 3 A multitude of risk factors are independently associated with the increased risk of CVD in T1D, including duration of diabetes, central obesity 4, 5 , hypertension, 6 smoking, 4 albuminuria, 4, 7 and dyslipidemia. 8 Nevertheless, the exact pathogenesis of the premature CVD in T1D remains poorly understood.Although children and adults with reasonably well-controlled T1D (and without nephropathy) have similar or even more favorable lipid profiles than the general population, 9, 10 T1D patients maintain a fourfold higher mortality risk from CVD and have early evidence of arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction. 11 While the reasons for this disparity remain unclear, qualitative lipoprotein abnormalities have been documented in adults with T1D, 12 specifically increased small dense LDL (sdLDL) and small dense HDL Correspondence: Michael J. Haller, MD, Pediatric Endocrinology, PO Box 100296, Gainesville, FL, 32610, Phone: 352.334.1390, Fax: 352.334.1325 (sdHDL). These abnormalities have been shown to inversely correlate with surrogate markers of arterial dysfunction (brachial reactivity, carotid intima media thickness, and radial artery tonometry). 13,14 As such, alterations in lipoprotein subclass distributions have been speculated to contribute to the increased CVD risk in these patients.Although a substantial proportion of children and adolescents with T1D are known to have abnormal serum lipids and alterations in lipoprotein subclass distributions, 15 little is known about the possible relationship between arterial stiffness and lipoprotein particle profiling in children with T1D. Given the low absolute short-term risk for CVD events in children with T1D, many groups, including ours, have attempted to correlate non-invasive surrogate me...