Associations of apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio with pre-diabetes and diabetes risks: a cross-sectional study in Chinese adults

Background Apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (ApoB/ApoA-I) ratio is a useful predictor of cardiovascular risk. However, the association between the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is still obscure. Aims To investigate the associations between the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and the risk of T2DM and pre-diabetes in a Chinese population, and to assess the role of gender in these associations. Methods A stratified random sampling design was used in this cross-sectional study which included 264 men and 465 women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes or T2DM. Serum ApoB, ApoA-I and other lipid and glycaemic traits were measured. Pearson's partial correlation and multivariable logistic analysis were used to evaluate the associations between ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and the risk of T2DM and pre-diabetes. Results The ApoB/ApoA-I ratios were significantly increased across the spectrum of NGT, pre-diabetes and T2DM. Women showed higher levels of ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and ApoB than men in the pre-diabetic and T2DM groups, but not in the NGT group. The ApoB/ApoA-I ratio was closely related with triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other glycaemic traits. Moreover, in women, the risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes in the top and middle tertiles of the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio were 3.65-fold (95% CI 1.69 to 6.10) and 2.19-fold (95% CI 1.38 to 2.84) higher than in the bottom tertile, respectively, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. However, the associations disappeared in men after adjusting for other factors. Conclusions The ApoB/ApoA-I ratio showed positive associations with the risk of diabetes and pre-diabetes in Chinese women.