Type 2 diabetes mellitus duration: an independent predictor of serum malondialdehyde levels

Introduction: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are subject to chronic oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation of cellular structures is an important process in atherosclerosis and late complications of DM. Malondialdehyde (MDA) plays a major role in low-density lipoprotein modification. This study aimed to evaluate whether DM duration is an independent predictor of serum MDA levels. Methods: A total of 120 patients with type 2 DM (60 with DM duration of 120 months or less and 60, with more than 120 months) and 45 gender-and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy adults were studied. Fasting blood samples were obtained and the fasting plasma glucose (FPG), cholesterol, high-and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and MDA levels were measured. Results: The MDA level was significantly higher in DM patients than in controls (p is less than 0.001), and in those with DM duration more than 120 months than those with DM duration of 120 months or less (p is less than 0.001). The level of MDA was significantly correlated with DM duration (correlation coefficient 0.254, p is less than 0.01) and the EC-SOD level (correlation coefficient 0.299, p is less than 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, the association between MDA and DM duration remained significant after adjustments were made for age, gender, BMI, FPG, HbA1c, EC-SOD, plasma creatinine and anti-diabetic medications (p is less than 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that in type 2 DM patients, DM duration is independently associated with increased levels of lipid peroxidation. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm these results.