Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Management of Lipoprotein Abnormalities in Diabetes Mellitus*

IDDs, who are untreated or inadequately treated, have elevations in the fasting, as well as postprandial triglyceride levels in association with reduced lipoprotein lipase activity. The low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol rises because of the effect of insulin deficiency on LDL receptor function. Diabetes when complicated by ketoacidosis demonstrates lipemic serum which is secondary to elevations in the chylomicrons and VLDL, the HDL concentration in these situations is lowered [3, 1]. Insulin therapy rapidly restores the LPL activity and corrects the abnormalities of the VLDL metabolism but the resonse of HDL occurs more slowly [4].