Diabetes Care, Vol 16, Issue 11 1494-1501, Copyright © 1993 by American Diabetes Association
Does familial hypertriglyceridemia predispose to NIDDM?
T Sane and MR Taskinen
Third Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
OBJECTIVE--To determine the 10-yr incidence of impaired glucose tolerance
and NIDDM in families with a clustering of endogenous hypertriglyceridemia.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--The prospective population study, where the
oral glucose tolerance test and the measurement of serum lipids and
lipoproteins were performed at the baseline examination and after the 10-yr
follow-up, was conducted on 56 subjects (17-60 yr of age at the baseline).
The subjects were from six pedigrees with a clustering of endogenous
hypertriglyceridemia, and 47 of these subjects attended the follow-up 10 yr
later. RESULTS--In the study families, the prevalence of glucose
intolerance and NIDDM increased from 15 to 49% (P < 0.001) and from 2 to
21% (P < 0.001), respectively, over the 10-yr period. When grouped
according to the baseline serum triglyceride tertiles, 76% (P < 0.01) of
the family members with highest serum triglycerides were glucose intolerant
(29% impaired glucose tolerance, 47% NIDDM) at follow-up compared with 20%
of those with lowest serum triglycerides. In discriminant analysis,
including age, body mass index, treatment with thiazides and beta-blocking
agents, and 2-h serum insulin concentration, the baseline serum
triglycerides still remained as an independent predictor of development of
impaired glucose tolerance and NIDDM. CONCLUSIONS--Families with a
clustering of hypertriglyceridemia are at increased risk of NIDDM, and in
these families elevation of serum triglycerides serves as a risk marker of
glucose intolerance and NIDDM.