Serum zine and pituitary gonadal axis in impotent diabetics

The materials of the study were 52 subjects divided into 3 groups, 26 diabetic Impotent group, 16 diabetic non. impotent and 10 as control group. Hormonal studies showed that there was a significant decrease in serum testosterone in diabetic as a whole in comparison to control [p <0.05]. but the difference was statistically insignificant between the diabetic impotent and non-impotent group. Serum prolactin was increased significantly in diabetic impotent group in comparison to both the diabetic non-impotent group [p<0.05] Or the control group [p<0.01]. Serum LH levels were insignificantly elevated in the diabetic impotent group. No corelations were found between any of these hormones and duration of diabetes, fasting blood sugar, duration of impotence and age of the patients. Serum zinc estimation and 24 urinary zinc excretion showed that there was an increase in the percentage of patients with low serum zinc among the impotent group more than the non impotent group. Also there was a significant hyperzincuria among diabetics in general but more in the diabetic impotent group [p<0.01]. The low serum zinc is inversly correlated with high serum prolactin levels [r+0.35]. The degree of zinc excretion was also positively correlated with fasting blood sugar and duration of diabetes. This study suggest that endocrinal dysfunction and disturbid zinc metabolism are among factors that interplay for causation of impotence in diabetes mellitus

Relation of body fat distribution to cardiac dysfunction in obesity

Systolic time intervals [STI] were measured in obese-other-wise healthy-females [n=30] to assess their cardiac function in comparison to normal subjects [n=10]. The effect of body fat distribution on cardiac function was also studied. Electromechanical systole [QS2] [2557.6 +/- 2.9 V.S. 576.47 +/- 65 msec] and left ventricular ejection time [LVET] [411.86 +/- 3.3 v.S. 445.7 +/- 3.9 msec] were significantly shortened [P<0.01] and prejection period [PEP] [147.59 +/- 3.1 v.S. 131.2 +/- 2 .5 msec] was significantly prolonged [P<0.1] in obese subjects compared to controls respectively. PEP/LVET was significantly increased in obese [0.4 +/- 0.01] compared to control subjects [0.29 +/- 0.1]; P<0.01. In addition body mass index [BMI] was significantly correlated to PEP/IVET [r=0.474; P>0.01] and to PEP [r=0.361; P>005]. PEP/LVET was significantly increased in lower body segment obesity [LBSO] [0.43+0.01] compared to upper body segment obesity [UBSO] [0.358+0.01]; P<0.01. PEP was significantly prolonged [155.5+2.9V.S. 137.4+2.9 msec] and LVET significantly shortened [404.4+4.2 VS. 423.9+4.8 msec] [P<0.01] in LBSO compared to UBSO respectively. furthermore, PEP/LVET was significantly negatively correlated to the brachial to femoral adipose muscle ratio. [r=0.46; P<0.05]. It can be concluded that obesity has direct effects on cardiac function which correlate with the degree of obesity. Cardiac performance is more affected in lower body segment obesity reflecting a distinct mechansim for obesity to affect heart other than through its metabolic alteration

Hormonal and metabolic changes in relation to body fat distribution in obesity

The relation of body fat distribution to the biochemical and hormonal atherogenic risk factors was studied in 31 obese patients. The brachial to femoral adipose muscle ratio [B/F AMR] was taken as an index of body fat distribution and the body mass index [BMI] as an index of severity of obesity. Upper body segment obese [UBSO] patients had significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and uric acid and significantly lower HDL level compared to lower body segment obese [LBSO] patients. Fasting and post prandial insulin and 4 P.m. plasma cortisol level were significantly higher in UBSO compared to LBSO. BMI was correlated to triglycerides, post prandial plasma glucose and fasting insulin but not to cortisol or other parameters. B/F AMR was positively correlated levels and negatively correlated to HDL. In conclusion, UBSO patients were shown to have multiple biochemical and hormonal risk factors predisposing them to diabetes and ischemic heart disease. The predominance of fat in the upper body segment rather the degree of obesity seems to be more relevant