Improvement of lipid status in diabetic boys: the 1971 and 1979 Joslin Camp lipid levels.

Since 1972, young type I diabetic patients seen by Joslin Clinic physicians have been advised to use a low cholesterol diet with a high proportion of polyunsaturated fat. Mean fasting cholesterol and triglyceride levels at admission to the Joslin Boys Camp for the years 1971 (N = 129) and 1979 (N = 79) were compared. In 1979, the mean cholesterol level was lower by 44 mg/dl (P less than 0.001) and the mean triglyceride by 21 mg/dl (P less than 0.001) compared with 1971. The incidence of hyperlipoproteinemia decreased from 21.6% to 7.6% with a complete disappearance of types IV and V during the same period. A decrease in the development of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in type I diabetic patients might be anticipated from this diet modification.