Long-term intensive glycemic and lipid control ameliorates the carotid intima medial thickness in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective:To investigate whether long-term intensive glycemic and lipid control would ameliorate the carotid intima medial thickness(IMT) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). Methods: IMT was evaluated on B-mode ultrasonography in 116 patients with T2DM. Body mass index(BMI), waist-to-hip ratio(WHR), fasting blood glucose(FBG), 2 hour postpradial glucose (2hPG),hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) were also measured. Of all the patients 89 were divided randomly into group of intensive glycemic and lipid control and group of conventional treatment and underwent 1 year clinical interview. Results: (1) IMT in patients with T2DM was significantly correlated with age(r=0.515,P=0.000) , SBP (r=0.208, P=0.025), TC(r=0.213,P=0.022), LDL-C(r=0.253,P=0.006) and no correlations were found between IMT and BMI,WHR,FBG, 2hPG ,HbA1c, TG and HDL-C. In multivariate regression analysis, age (Beta=0.527,P=0.000)and TC(Beta=0.243, P=0.002) were significant independent determinants for IMT. (3) After 1 year the change of IMT in the group of intensive glycemic and lipid control was significantly different compared with the group of conventional treatment [(-0.044±0.148)mm vs (0.056±0.178), P0.05]. The change of IMT was not significantly associated with the use of Metformin, Sulphonylurea and Aspirin, but significantly associated with the use of statins. The change of IMT in the group using statins was significantly different compared with that in the group without using statins[(-0.053±0.153)mm vs (0.042±0.165)mm, P0.05]. Conclusion: Carotid IMT appears to be closely related to age and TC in the patients with T2DM. Long-term intensive glycemic control and lipid control could ameliorate the IMT in patients with T2DM. The improvement of IMT may be associated with the use of statin drug.