Control of plasma and liver triglyceride kinetics by carbohydrate metabolism and insulin.

Abstract

The plasma level of triglycerides in human diabetes is variable and depends on: type of disease, degree of control, age of the patient, previous diet, obesity, and the presence or absence of complications. This high number of influencing variables makes it easy to understand that no uniform pattern of plasma triglyceride in diabetes has evolved. The hyperlipemia associated with uncontrolled juvenile-type diabetes and particularly with ketoacidosis was recognized in the early pre-insulin era. The increase concerns the triglycerides, which are rapidly restored to normal or even subnormal level on insulin administration. On continuation of insulin treatment and maintenance of good or even moderate control of glucose metabolism, the average plasma triglyceride concentration keeps normal or near normal and is not related to the duration of the disease. There are individual cases that remain hyperlipemic in spite of adequate regulation of diabetes; however, these patients should have the same degree of hyperglyceridemia also without diabetes.