Objectives: The is no consensus on the early patterns of lipid-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in youth with either type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim was to determine the differences in CVD risk, using lipid profiles, in children and adolescents with either T1D or T2D at the time of their first lipid assessment, after stratifying the T1D cohort into remitters and non-remitters based on their honeymoon history.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 249 subjects consisting of 73 controls, 53 T2D subjects, and 123 T1D subjects stratified into remitters (n=44), and non-remitters (n=79). Partial clinical remission (PCR) was defined as insulin-dose adjusted HbA1c of < /=9. Pubertal status was determined by Tanner staging.

Results: After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, race, and pubertal status, T2D patients had significantly higher LDL-C compared to the controls (p=0.022), the remitters (p=0.029), but not the non-remitters (103.1 +/- 5.9 mg/dL vs. 91.4 +/- 4.2 mg/dL, p=0.49). Similarly, T2D patients had significantly higher non-HDL-C compared to the controls (p=0.006), the remitters (p=0.0002), but not the non-remitters (137.6 +/- 7.1 mg/dL vs. 111.71 +/- 5.0 mg/dL, p=0.053). Total cholesterol was also significantly higher in T2D patients compared to the controls (p=0.0005), the remitters (p=0.006) but not the non-remitters (183.5 +/- 6.6 mg/dL vs. 166.2 +/- 4.8 mg/dL, p=0.27).

Conclusions: Lack of the honeymoon phase in children and adolescents with T1D confers early and significantly increased lipid-based cardiovascular risk to these patients that is similar to the elevated cardiovascular risk seen in T2D.