New research has shown that, contrary to some previous studies, low levels of lipoprotein (a) – a parcel of fats and protein in the blood – do not cause type 2 diabetes. The findings may alleviate concerns that drugs aimed at reducing lipoprotein (a) (known as Lp(a)) might be increasing patients' risk of diabetes. High levels of Lp(a) are known to increase the risk of a range of cardiovascular diseases, such as clogged arteries, heart attack and stroke, and so doctors usually try to reduce Lp(a) but may be worried about a possible link with diabetes.
In a study presented by Professor Tadeusz Osadnik from Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, at the ESC Congress today and published simultaneously in Cardiovascular Diabetology , researchers have used a genetic method called Mendelian randomization (MR) to show that, in fact, it is high levels of fasting insulin (hyperinsulinemia) that cause the reduction in Lp(a). Hyperinsulinemia leads to the development of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Prof.
Osadnik told the Congress: " Our findings suggest that hyperinsulinemia, triggered by insulin resistance, can partially explain the inverse relationship between low Lp(a) concentrations and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. They show that insulin produced by the body has a slight tendency to reduce levels of Lp(a)." Prof.
Osadnik and Maciej Banach, Professor of Cardiology at the Medial University of Lodz, Poland, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ba.