Erythrocyte membrane fluidity: A novel biomarker of residual cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes

Aims Improving the composition of circulating fatty acids (FA) leads to a reduction in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in high‐risk individuals. The membrane fluidity of red blood cells (RBC), which reflects circulating FA status, may be a valid biomarker of cardiovascular (CV) risk in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Red blood cell membrane fluidity, quantified as general polarization (GP), was assessed in 234 subjects with T2D, 86 with prior major CVD. Based on GP distribution, a cut‐off of .445 was used to divide the study cohort into two groups: the first with higher GP, called GEL, and the second, defined as lower GP (LGP). Lipidomic analysis was performed to evaluate FA composition of RBC membranes. Results Although with comparable CV risk factors, the LGP group had a greater percentage of patients with major CVD than the GEL group (40% vs 24%, respectively, p