Serum Chromium, Zinc and Testosterone Levels in Diabetics in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Calabar Nigeria

Abstract

This study was aimed at determing the possible effects of obesity and glycaemic control on serum Chromium, Zinc, and Testosterone levels in diabetics and non-diabetic subjects. Twenty five (25) diabetics aged between 35-68years and thirty nine (39) non-diabetics aged matched were investigated for Serum Chromium, Zinc, and Testosterone, and Fasting Plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin using standard methods. Body Mass indices of subjects were also determined.  The result shows that Serum zinc levels in diabetics were significantly higher when compared with the non-diabetics (p<0.05) while serum testosterone was significantly lower in obese non-diabetics and obese diabetics with poor glycaemic control when compared to their non-obese counterparts (p<0.05). Serum zinc correlated positively with fasting plasma glucose in non-obese non-diabetics (r=0.4388, p<0.05) while Serum chromium correlated positively with glycosylated haemoglobin in obese diabetics (r=0.9877, p<0.05). Serum testosterone correlated negatively with serum zinc in obese diabetics, and with fasting plasma glucose in obese non-diabetics respectively (r=-0.9639, r=-0.7364, p<0.05) while a negative correlation was observed between fasting plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin in diabetics (r=0.3830, p<0.05). In conclusion, Obesity and the control of diabetes did influence serum testosterone levels. Serum chromium and zinc levels were observed to be altered in diabetes mellitus condition.

Key words: chromium, zinc, testosterone.