Type 2 Diabetes and the Cholesterol Imbalance

01.06.2010 | Author: Alex Grey Jr | Posted in Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes often have abnormally high cholesterol, and, according to a review by workers at the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia in Canada, abnormal cholesterol may contribute to causing type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Heart Association, diabetics frequently have not only abnormally high cholesterol, but they tend to have too little of the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which helps to lower the low density lipoprotein (LDL), which is the kind that contributes to heart and blood vessel disease. Now it is possible that this imbalance of cholesterol types might contribute to type 2 diabetes as well.

Injecting HDL has been shown to improve functioning of the beta cells, the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. People with poor HDL levels also tend to suffer from poor pancreatic function. HDL (good cholesterol) also appears to protect the pancreas from loss of beta cells, and to protect pancreatic beta cells from the damage caused by LDL. Inflammation has been associated with type 2 diabetes, and HDL protects the pancreas from inflammation and destruction of beta cells. In type 2 diabetes HDL is not metabolized normally, and this appears to contribute to the disease. This is interesting… the authors suggest that normalizing HDL might help to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes.

What is a desirable cholesterol level?

According to the American Heart Association, a desirable cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dL or 11.11 mmol/L, total. An HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher is protective against heart disease. At some point, if research continues in the vein it has so far, there might be some other goals to try for to protect against diabetes, but “normal” as defined by heart disease research is a good place to start.

Lowering cholesterol in general can often be accomplished with diet and exercise:

Foods containing high amounts of cholesterol include meat and dairy products

  • a diet low in saturated fats, the kind that come from animals, is good for lowering cholesterol
  • olive oil can be used for cooking instead of butter or lard
  • diets high in fruits, nuts, and vegetables result in lowered cholesterol levels
  • foods high in fiber, such as oats and beans will raise HDL levels

    • Aerobic exercises, such as walking, running, swimming, and bicycle riding help to lower cholesterol and contribute to a healthy balance of HDL and LDL. During activity, your heart rate should increase by 20 to 30 beats per minute.

    Quitting smoking can also help increase HDL levels.

    If a good diet and exercise are not enough, discuss with your physician the possibility of cholesterol-lowering medications.

    Hyperlipidemia, or diabetic lipemia, is also associated with poor blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes.

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