Age, Sex and Atherogenic Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Non-Diabetes Mellitus patients.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the degree of atherogenic risk in type 2 DM and non-DM patients and to relate age and sex with atherogenic risk of the patients. A total of 192 participants, consisting of one hundred (100) type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and ninety-two (92) healthy controls were randomly selected and studied. A researcher administered questionnaire documented their ages, sex, occupation and addresses. Their weight, height and blood pressure of the participants were measured and their fasting blood samples obtained for plasma glucose and lipid profile were assayed using standardizedmethods. The diabetics had higher mean Triglyceride (TG), Low density cholesterol (LDL-c) and Total Cholesterol (TC) as follows: 119.0±52.5, 137.5±61.3 and 202.9±55.6 mg/dl when compared to the non-diabetics with the mean values of 92.45±39.7, 73.2±39.8 and 149.7±38.9 mg/dl respectively (p=0.001). The atherogenic risk increased with age with the peak mean values of 151.1±13.1 and 214.2±14.0)mg/dl for LDL-c and TC respectively (p=0.001) at age group >65years. The mean values of TC and LDL-c were higher in males than in females as follows: 203.79±59.4 and 141.23±55.4 mg/dl for the males and 202.2±53.1 and 134.6±48.3 mg/dl for females respectively p>0.05. It is our hope that these findings will assist the physicians to focus more on age and sex in the interpretation of the degree of atherogenic risk in DM and non-DM patients so as to enhance intensive preventive and control measures against cardiovascular complications.

Keywords: Age, Sex, Atherogenic risk, Type 2 DM and non-DM.