Research personnel in charge of the study
Cyber | Thursday, May 8, 2025
A recent study has identified Specific alterations in the metabolism of lipids that are related to subclinical atherosclerosis in people with type 2 diabetes. This silent disease, before cardiovascular events, occur, known as atherosclerosis, causes progressive narrowing of arteries due to the accumulation of fat plaques and is one of the main causes of complications in patients with diabetes.
The study, published in Cardiovascular Diabetology, It has been led by Dídac Mauricio, scientific director of the Ci-Cyber Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) and researcher at the Hospital de la Santa Creu I San Pau, and Maria Barranco-Altirriba, first signatory of the article and researcher of the Biomaterial and Nanomedicine Bioengineering Area and Nanomedicine of the Cyber (CIBER-BBN) in the same hospital. It has also had the participation of other Cyberdem, Cyber-BBN teams and the area of pathophysiology of obesity and nutrition of (CIBEROBN) in different institutions.
The research analyzed more than 500 people, including patients with type 1 diabetes, type 2 and people without diabetes, and used advanced lipid analysis technologies together with ultrasound of the carotid arteries. The results showed that almost half of the participants had signs of subclinical atherosclerosis.
Lipid alterations in type 2 diabetes
“In the case of patients with type 2 diabetes, 27 different lipid species associated with the presence of arteriosclerosis plates in arteries were detected. Among the most involved lipids were phosphatidylcolins and diacylglycerides, which showed both upward and downward alterations. Interestingly, the most marked changes were observed in people with type 2 diabetes who were smoking or who did not continue treatment to control cholesterol“ Didac Mauricio explains.
“These findings point to a significant alteration of lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes, which could help identify, early, patients with greater cardiovascular risk. In addition, it opens the door to other studies in the search for new more personalized prevention and treatment strategies based on the lipid profile of each person “ The research team concludes.
Article reference:
RJM, Ortega E, Lloyd GR, and al. Lipidomic analysis reveals metabolism alteration associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.Cardiovasc diabetol. 2025; 24 (1): 152. DOI: 10.1186/S12933-025-02701-Z.
