Sex difference in the relationship of the Atherogenic index of plasma with coronary artery lesions in diabetes: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) tends to progress more rapidly in the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population and may be associated with dyslipidemia. This study explored the relationship of the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) to coronary artery lesions in the T2DM population of different sexes. METHODS: The research included 737 individuals who underwent coronary angiography from 2018 to 2019. The included clinical data and coronary angiographic findings were analyzed in the study. RESULTS: Among the included male patients, those with coronary artery disease had a higher adjusted AIP (aAIP). In correlation analysis, the Gensini score was positively and linearly correlated with the aAIP in male T2DM patients. An aAIP cutoff value of 1.17 was determined from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of aAIP versus CAD risk in the study population. After dividing the aAIP into two groups by the cutoff value of aAIP, the group with the lower value was used as the control for logistic regression analysis. The results showed that the risk of CAD and multivessel lesions was higher when the aAIP was higher in men with T2DM, and this positive association was not affected by HbA1c, age, or the presence of glucose-lowering therapy. The ROC curve suggested that the aAIP can predict CAD risk in male T2DM patients. However, no relationship was found in the included female patients. CONCLUSION: In male T2DM patients, AIP may serve as a reliable marker for coronary artery lesions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12944-022-01767-y.