Risk management program cuts plasma triglycerides in T2D

A 2-week comprehensive risk-management regimen can successfully suppress levels of plasma triglycerides in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a recent study reported.

The program also changes the overall fatty acid (FA) composition of triglycerides, characterized by a drop in FA 14:0.

The researchers conducted a sub-analysis of a prior prospective observational study, focusing on 31 T2D patients who had been hospitalized to improve glycaemic control. The 2-week regimen included intensive glycaemic, body weight, blood pressure, and dyslipidaemia control, all delivered in the hospital.

Patients underwent a lipidomic analysis during the second and 16th days of hospitalization using supercritical fluid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry.

Overall, 104 triglycerides of differing FA compositions were identified by lipidomic analysis, most of which showed a downward trend after the risk-management program. Specifically, triglycerides of lower carbon numbers and with fewer double bonds were more strongly affected by the regimen and showed sharper declines.

Including FA 14:0, also called myristic acid, as a constituent correlated with a significant reduction in triglycerides (odds ratio, 39.0; p<0.001). Of note, myristic acid was the most strongly suppressed FA following the regimen.

“Most plasma triglycerides decreased after a 2-week comprehensive risk management for diabetes. Furthermore, FA 14:0 as a constituent of triglycerides showed the largest reduction among the detected fatty acid constituents,” the researchers said, adding that future studies of larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.