Non-traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetes

A predominant consequence of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 is accelerated development of atherosclerosis related conditions. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors only explain a portion of the excess risk for atherosclerosis in this population. In vitro, animal and epidemiologic studies have suggested that a variety of "novel" cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), including triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRL), small dense low density lipoprotein (D-LDL) subfractions, oxidative stress, and advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) formation may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. These risk factors may also induce endothelial cell activation/injury or local or systemic inflammation that cause elevations in plasma levels of additional novel risk factors, such as soluble adhesion molecules, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP). Many of these risk factors are increased in DM type 2, presumably as a consequence of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. However, no studies have evaluated the singular or synergistic relationship of these novel (CVRF) to measures of atherosclerosis as well as to the development of clinical macrovascular events in individuals with diabetes. If, as we suspect, these novel CVRF are related to development of atherosclerosis and macrovascular disease, it will be critical for the future design of prevention strategies to know whether intensive glucose lowering significantly reduces the levels of these novel CVRF. Furthermore, it would be important to explore whether the relationship of the above novel risk factors to atherosclerosis and development of clinical events is attenuated in those individuals receiving glucose lowering therapy. Alternatively, if glucose lowering has no effect (or a negative effect), on relevant novel CVRF, this could potentially explain the limited success of intensive glucose lowering to reduce macrovascular events in several prior trials.

The investigator proposes to take advantage of the study population and framework of the recently approved VA Cooperative Study of "Glycemic Control and Complications in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2" to address these issues in an efficient and cost-effective manner.