Fasting and postprandial lipid parameters: A comparative evaluation of cardiovascular risk assessment in prediabetes and diabetes

CONTEXT: Dyslipidemia plays a crucial role in atherogenesis, in both prediabetes and diabetes. There persists a lacuna in the evaluation of postprandial lipid parameters in prediabetes. AIMS: To comparatively evaluate fasting and postprandial blood lipid parameters and atherogenic lipid ratios for cardiovascular risk assessment, in prediabetes and diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and thirty-two with prediabetes were selected for the study. Lipid profile and blood glucose were analyzed in fasting and postprandial blood samples. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Shapiro–Wilk test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's regression analysis were applied. RESULTS: Postprandially, triglycerides (TG) was increased significantly in diabetes compared to controls (P < 0.01) and prediabetics (P < 0.05). Among the lipid ratios, triglyceride/high density lipoprotein (TG/HDLc) was significantly increased postprandially in diabetes compared to controls (P < 0.05). A comparative analysis of fasting and postprandial parameters within each group showed a significant increase in postprandial TG/HDLc compared to the fasting state in prediabetes (P < 0.001) and diabetes (P < 0.001). Postprandial TG (P < 0.01) and TG/HDLc (P < 0.01) showed a stronger correlation with HbA(1c) compared to fasting TG (P < 0.05) and TG/HDLc (P > 0.05). The prevalence of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance was higher in postprandial state than the fasting state in prediabetes and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Postprandial TG and the TG/HDLc reflect lipid abnormalities than the corresponding fasting variables in diabetes and prediabetes. Postprandial TG and TG/HDLc are better reflectors of cardiovascular status in prediabetes and diabetes.