Serum Trace Elements and Electrolytes Are Associated with Fasting Plasma Glucose and HbA1c in Postmenopausal Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The primary aim of the research was to assess the level of trace elements and electrolytes in serum of postmenopausal diabetic women. Sixty-four postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and 64 age- and body mass index-matched controls were examined. Serum trace elements were assessed using inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA) levels were evaluated using Randox kits. The obtained data demonstrate that DM2 patients were characterized by 42 and 34 % higher FPG and HbA levels, respectively (p < 0.001). The level of Cu and Se in diabetic postmenopausal women was increased by 10 and 15 % in comparison to the respective control values (p = 0.002 and <0.001). Serum Mn, Zn, and Ni concentrations were lower than the control ones by 32 % (p = 0.003), 8 % (p = 0.003), and 23 % (p = 0.046), respectively. FPG and HbA levels directly correlated with serum Se (p < 0.001) and Cu (p = 0.014 and p = 0.028) concentrations and inversely related to Zn (p < 0.001) and Tl (p = 0.023 and p = 0.029) levels. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between serum Zn and Se and FPG and HbA levels. It is proposed that Zn and Se play an important role in DM2 pathogenesis. Further studies are required to assess the intimate mechanisms of the observed differences.

Zinc Intake and Status and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The literature search strategy generated 12,136 publications, and 16 studies were finally selected for this systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies [4,5,6,7,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,39,40,41]. There were no studies that were excluded for reasons of language.…”

“…The quality of selected publications, according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement [42], was high. The compliance percentages of the STROBE items were between 69 and 100%, 14 of the 16 selected studies above 80% [4,5,6,7,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,39,41]. The characteristics of the included studies for meta-analyses are summarized in Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3.…”

“…The prospective Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) cohort study of 2220 Finnish men followed over twenty years showed that higher serum zinc levels were associated with an increased risk of T2DM [14]. Conversely, a cross-sectional study of 128 Russian postmenopausal women found an inverse relationship between serum zinc and T2DM [17]. The relationship between whole blood zinc concentration and T2DM has been investigated by two studies carried out within the same population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3), but their results were inconclusive [18,19].…”

The Relationship between Dietary, Serum and Hair Levels of Minerals (Fe, Zn, Cu) and Glucose Metabolism Indices in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients

“…dietary Zn, protein intake, blood Zn concentration, other factors determining the hair growth, environmental factors, etc. Both positive and negative correlations between blood serum/plasma Zn levels have been reported in healthy and diabetic subjects [ 44 , 45 ].…”

“…The data from clinical studies on diabetic patients are contradictory. In some studies, the serum or plasma copper level was increased [ 31 , 34 , 37 , 44 , 46 , 53 ] or the same as in the control group [ 54 ].…”