The authors investigated the incidence of different disorders of the lipid metabolism and their age dependence in a group of 67 patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized at the First Medical Clinic in Kosice. Some disorder of the lipid metabolism was recorded in 67% of the patients. The most frequently encountered disorder was hypertriglyceridaemia (21%). Hypercholesterolaemia was recorded in 16%, combined hyperlipidaemia in 18% and hypoalphalipoproteinaemia in 12% of the patients. Patients with diabetic nephropathy had significantly elevated mean triglyceride levels and reduced HDL-cholesterol levels, as compared with patients without nephropathy. In diabetic women a significantly higher incidence of combined hyperlipidaemias was recorded, as compared with men and the mean total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also significantly higher in women with type 2 diabetes.