Prevalence and patterns of dyslipidemia among lipid-lowering drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus – A countrywide study in Bangladesh

Abstract

BackgroundDyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This countrywide study explored the prevalence and patterns of dyslipidemia among patients with T2DM who were not taking lipid-lowering drugs (LLD). MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 2241 subjects with T2DM visiting several endocrinology outpatient clinics throughout Bangladesh from January to December 2021. Lipid profiles were measured in fasting blood samples using automatic analyzers. Data were analyzed using Stata 17 (Stata Corp LLC, TX, USA). Results2241 patients were investigated; their mean age was 46.27 (±11.27, SD) years, and 57.16 % were women. Overall, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 96.83 %. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and triglyceride (TG) were high in 42.88 %, 63.54 %, and 71.40 % of patients, respectively; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) was low in 77.60 %. Mixed dyslipidemia (including raised TC, LDLC, TG, and low HDLC) was the most prevalent (24.05 %) type. Being woman (adjusted OR: 5.63, 95%CI: 3.07–11.1) and uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c <7 %) (adjusted OR: 2.64, 95%CI: 1.54–4.52) were independently associated with dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia was associated with microvascular complications of diabetes. ConclusionDyslipidemia is a highly prevalent abnormality among LLD-naïve T2DM patients in Bangladesh. Early detection and prompt management are required to prevent complications arising from dyslipidemia.