This study investigated why atherogenic risk differed to a greater extent between diabetic and nondiabetic women compared to diabetic and nondiabetic men. For that purpose, several parameters (e.g., lipoprotein-lipid profile, serum hormones, regional adipose tissue distribution) were measured in various study groups: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study on 524 nondiabetic women, a sample of 258 diabetic women, another group of 421 nondiabetic men, and a sample of 220 diabetic men. There was a sex-diabetes interaction for systolic blood pressure, apolipoprotein B, cholesterol, apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein AI ratio, non-HDL cholesterol, LDL particle count, small LDL, intermediate–density lipoproteins, and C-reactive protein. Apolipoprotein B had the most significant interaction (p=0.0005). As body mass index (BMI) increased, waist circumference increased more than hip circumference in all groups (p<0.001). In men, there was little difference in slopes and intercepts of waist or hip circumference between diabetic and nondiabetic men at any given BMI value. However, at any BMI value, waist circumference was 6% greater (p<0.001) in diabetic compared to nondiabetic women. On the other hand, hip circumference was 10% lower in diabetic compared to nondiabetic women. Therefore, differences in the atherogenic profile between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects were more pronounced in women than in men.
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