RELATIONSHIP OF SERUM ZINC TO INSULIN RESISTANCE IN METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA

SERUM ZINC AND INSULIN RESISTANCE

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing concern not only in developed countries but also in the developing countries owing to increasing urbanisation. The coexistence of insulin resistance (IR), obesity, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, and hypertension defines MetS. Serum zinc has been reported to play a central role in the onset and progression of IR.  This study aimed to determine levels of serum zinc in participants with MetS.

Methodology: Two hundred and seventy participants, comprising 180 MetS and 90 healthy controls, were recruited for this study in southwest Nigeria. Anthropometric indices, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), serum fasting insulin (FI), and zinc were measured. IR was assessed using Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) cut off >2. Normally distributed data was presented as mean, while data not normally distributed as median. SPSS version 23 was used for statistical analysis and set at p < 0.05.

Results: Mean age of MetS participants was 61.2(±9.3) vs controls 60.7(±8.9) yrs; results of MetS to control participants  include  mean FPG 138.7(±35.4) vs 75.6(±14.0)mg/dL, p <0.001; TG  94.0(±22.0) vs 73.1(±22.0)mg/dl, p<0.001;  mean HDL-c of 23.5 (±8.5) mg/dL vs 52.3 (±17.1)mg/dL, p <0.001; Median FI  9.6(5.5-16.2)  vs  7.5(5.8-8.6)uU/mL p <0.001 ; HOMA-IR was 2.9(1.4-5.4)  vs 1.3(0.9-1.8),  p <0.01; and Zinc  45.0(25.2-59.1)  vs 101.4(74.1-144.4)ug/dL, p <0.01.

Conclusions: Low serum zinc in MetS has a direct relationship with the development of IR as well as increasing BMI, FPG, and FI and IR. This implies that zinc supplementation may play a significant role in the management of MetS patients in Southwest Nigeria.