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.
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.