Study of changes in antioxidant enzymes status in diabetic post menopausal group of women suffering from cardiovascular complications.

BACKGROUND: In type 2 diabetic patients, persistence of hyperglycemia has been reported as a cause of increased production of oxygen free radicals (FR), which leads to oxidative stress (OS) and becomes the main factor for predisposition to the cardiovascular complications in diabetes. Diabetic postmenopausal women are prone to cardiovascular disease due to reduced production of estrogen which is a potent antioxidant and prevents oxidative stress (OS) in body. The study is being aimed to find out the status of antioxidant enzymes (AOEs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in post-menopausal diabetic women. METHODS: The study was conducted with a total of 70 cases, which included 35 Type 2 diabetic post-menopausal females (45 - 60 years) with diabetic CVD complication as the study group and 35 age matched type 2 diabetic postmenopausal females without CVD complication. RESULTS: All diabetic post menopausal females with CVD had significantly higher levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) and significantly lower levels of HDL-C, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as compared to the levels of control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: During menopause, reduced production of estrogen causes hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperlipoproteinemia whose oxidation causes the accumulation of FR in the cell, which precipitates OS. Also, type 2 diabetic subjects with CVD poor glycemic control and impaired AOEs result in increased oxidative injury by failure of protective mechanisms, which further leads to oxidative stress.

HbA(1c) levels in cardiovascular diseased patients without diabetes in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: High levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) have been associated with Coronary Vascular Diseases (CVD) in diabetic patients. Recent studies have reported no association between elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women without diabetes. There are many controversial studies on topics such as "Glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA(1c)) have been associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the non-diabetic patients". Therefore, we planned this study. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 50 age matched controls and 50 clinically diagnosed non-diabetic CVD patients of either gender. The study included 50 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) admitted to the ICCU ward of J.L.N. Medical College and Hospital, Ajmer (Rajasthan). The following information was recorded from admission sheets of non-diabetic CVD patients of either gender: history of diabetes, hypertension, and cigarette smoking; demographic indices; coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus treatment; serum cholesterol; serum triglycerides (TG); high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); fasting and non-fasting blood glucose levels and Glycated haemoglobin levels (HbA(1c)). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) was measured by latex agglutination inhibition assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The HbA(1c) levels in healthy controls (n = 50) and non-diabetic CVD subjects (n = 50) observed were 4.32 +/- 0.34% and 5.80 +/- 0.20%, respectively. HbA(1c) levels in these subjects were significantly higher than controls (p < 0.001). The HbA(1c) levels in non-diabetic CVD patients are higher in comparison to controls.

Association between gamma glutamyl transferase and insulin resistance markers in healthy obese children.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) with insulin resistance markers [fasting insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment of-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] and to assess the role of GGT as a determinant of insulin resistance in healthy obese children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty healthy obese children (boys and girls with mean age 9.2 +/- 0.73 and 8.8 +/- 0.74 years) born to diabetic mothers were studied. In all the subjects, anthropometric measurements viz, BMI and body weight were studied. The biochemical parameters analysed in fasting samples of subjects were plasma glucose, plasma insulin, serum GGT and calculation of HOMA-IR. RESULTS: The fifty studied subjects belonged to age group 8 to12 years. The difference in mean age of boys and girls was not significant (p = 0.09). Body weight values in all subjects ranged from 20 to 78 kgs and BMI values ranged from 14.5 to 42.1 Kg/m2. No significant difference was observed between body weight and BMI values when compared between boys and girls. A similar trend was observed in the values of biochemical parameters viz, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels when compared between boys and girls (p = 0.72, p = 0.80, p = 0.59). Serum GGT correlated significantly with age, body weight, BMI, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels. HOMA-IR values also showed significant correlation with body weight, BMI, fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels. The association of GGT with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels was considerably significant compared to its association with other variables. The serum activity of GGT remained correlated with HOMA-IR even after removing the effect of BMI, weight and age on GGT values. The results showed that GGT is a determinant of HOMA-IR independently of age, BMI and weight. CONCLUSION: A correlation exists between GGT and insulin resistance markers. The observed correlation indicates that monitoring GGT and fasting insulin levels in obese children might serve to help prevent the development of diabetes in these children.