Background: We previously reported that T2DM patients with elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] were characterized by lesser insulin resistance and high frequency of left-handedness.

Objective: The aim of this work was therefore to characterize the lipids and lipoproteins in T2DM, to see if there were quantitative or qualitative differences depending on motor laterality.

Methods: The cardiometabolic phenotype of 517 Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was determined according to laterality, 444 patients being right-handed (RHs; 86%) and 73 left-handed or ambidextrous (non-RHs; 14%). Besides routine lipids, Lp(a), non-Lp(a)-LDL-C, apoB100, apoA-I, and atherogenic dyslipidemia were also measured, including pre-/post-statin levels in treated paitients.

Results: Non-RHs had a stronger family history of early-onset CVD, were more insulin- sensitive, and were less often treated with insulin. RHs and non-RHs did not differ as regards use and intensity of statins, routine lipids, apoB100, apoA-I, prevalence/severity of atherogenic dyslipidemia, and LDL size. In contrast, Lp(a) levels were significantly higher in non-RHs (median 37.0 vs. 18.7 nmol/L in RHs; p 0.0018), resulting in 32% of non-RHs having pathological Lp(a) vs. 20% in non-HRs (p 0.0467). Although pre-statin LDL-C was 15% higher in non-RHs, partly related to higher Lp(a), on-statin LDL-C did not differ between groups, suggesting better response/compliance to statins.

Conclusion: Lp(a) levels are twice as high in left-handed diabetic patients, while routine lipids and lipoproteins are unaffected by motor laterality. Elevated Lp(a) in left-handers also underlies higher LDL-C before statins, yet on-treatment LDL-C in left-handers decreased more after statins than that of right-handers, hinting to better compliance and/or greater response to statins.

Disclosure

M.P. Hermans: Speaker's Bureau; Self; Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Mylan. Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S, OmniPod. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Servier. Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.. S.A. Ahn: None. M.F. Rousseau: None.

Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. More information is available at http://www.diabetesjournals.org/content/license.