Lipid profiles reveal sex differences in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, or T2D, is a metabolic disorder that affects global communities disproportionally. For example, South Asians face a particularly high risk. Changes in lipid species affect T2D, but scientists have not identified any reliable lipid biomarkers. Fatty acids, or FAs, are the major components of many lipids, and they can be potential lipid biomarkers. However, conflicting findings have left unclear how essential FAs relate to T2D development.

In a recent study in the Journal of Lipid Research, Madhusmita Rout and a team of researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center investigated the lipid profiles of individuals from a well-characterized cohort of Asian Indians. They found that in T2D, levels of two key cell membrane components — sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholines — decreased, while free FAs and lysophosphatidylcholines, or LPCs, increased. After adjusting for age, sex and body mass index, or BMI, they saw significant increases in several essential FAs, such as the omega-6 FA arachidonic acid and the omega-3 FA docosahexaenoic acid. However, in obese individuals, most omega-3 and omega-6 FAs were reduced two- to six-fold. The team also observed sex- and age-related lipid differences. For example, one LPC type was elevated in men of all ages but rose in women only after menopause.

Ultimately, this study identified potentially useful lipid biomarkers that could possibly affect the development of T2D and obesity. Future directions include clarifying the relationship between omega FAs and T2D, as well as the role of essential FAs in human metabolic diseases.