Anti-oxidized low-density lipoprotein antibody levels are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background Anti‐oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) antibodies are associated with the oxidative capacity of plasma, but whether they protect or promote diabetes is unknown. We undertook a prospective study to determine the predictive capacity of anti‐oxidized LDL antibodies for the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and methods We selected 391 non‐diabetic women aged 18–65 years. The subjects were classified as being normal (oral glucose test tolerance normal, OGTT‐N), or having impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or T2DM according to their baseline glucose levels and after an OGTT. The same subjects were studied six years later. The levels of anti‐oxidized LDL antibodies were classified as above or below the 50th percentile. Results Of the women who were OGTT‐N at the start of the study and who had anti‐oxidized LDL antibody levels below the 50th percentile, only 65·1% were still OGTT‐N after 6 years versus 79·5% of those who had anti‐oxidized LDL antibody levels above the 50th percentile (P = 0·015). Women who had IGT or IFG at the start of the study whose anti‐oxidized LDL antibody levels were below the 50th percentile had a relative risk of 9·79 (95% confidence interval, 1·40–68·45) of developing diabetes (P