Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Feb 5:14:2.
doi: 10.1186/s40200-015-0129-2. eCollection 2015.

Insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and alpha-thalassemia carrier state

Adele Bahar  1 , Ramin Shekarriz  2 , Ghasem Janbabai  2 , Roya Shirzad  3 , Mohsen Aarabi  1 , Zahra Kashi  1
Affiliations

Insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and alpha-thalassemia carrier state

Adele Bahar et al. J Diabetes Metab Disord. .

Abstract

Background: This study was designed to determine relationship between the glucose metabolism disorder (the insulin resistance and the impaired glucose tolerance) and α-thalassemia.

Methods: In this historical cohort study, 80Alpha-thalassemia carriers and 80 healthy people were enrolled. The participants had no diabetes familial history and the waist circumference and blood pressure were in normal range (waist circumference of less than 102 cm in men, 88 cm in women and blood pressure <120/80 mmHg). The serum insulin level, fasting blood glucose (after 12 hours fasting) and two-hour plasma glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (2-h OGTT) were measured. Insulin resistance was estimated according to homeostasis model assessment method (HOMA). Chi-square test, independent sample t-test and the relative risk were used for data analysis.

Results: According to FBS and OGTT results, the percentage of diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes were 1.3% and 33.8% in Alpha-thalassemia carriers, respectively. The control group showed 2.5% diabetic and 13.8% pre-diabetic cases as well. The relative risk for the glucose tolerance impairment (diabetes and pre-diabetes) was 2.78 (95% CI: 1.31-5.88, P = 0.07).Six and a half percent of the Alpha-thalassemia group and 2.5% in the control group had 2.25 ≤ HOMAIR ≤ 3.59 (an intermediate state of Insulin sensitivity) p = 0.443. In the study, there was no subject with insulin resistance (HOMAIR >3.59).

Conclusions: The possibility of risk enhancement of the impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes and diabetes mellitus) in patients with α-thalassemia is almost three times greater than the normal population without relationship with insulin resistance. Diabetic and pre-diabetic Alpha-thalassemia carrier state is younger than the general population suffering of these disorders.

Keywords: Alpha thalassemia; Impaired glucose tolerance; Insulin resistance; Pre-diabetes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The proportion of diabetes or pre-diabetes in the exposure group (α-thalassemia) and people without exposure (Pvalue = 0.007,Chi-square test).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Suvarna J, Ingle H, Deshmukh CT. Insulin resistance and beta cell function in chronically transfused patients of thalassemia major. Indian Pediatr. 2006;43(5):393–400. - PubMed
    1. Khalifa AS, Salem M, Mounir E, El-Tawil MM, El-Sawy M, Abd Al-Aziz MM. Abnormal glucose tolerance in Egyptian beta-thalassemic patients: possible association with genotyping. Pediatr Diabetes. 2004;5(3):126–32. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-543X.2004.00051.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maddux BA, See W, Lawrence JC, Jr, Goldfine AL, Goldfine ID, Evans JL. Protection against oxidative stress-induced insulin resistance in rat L6 muscle cells by mircomolar concentrations of alpha-lipoic acid. Diabetes. 2001;50(2):404–10. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.50.2.404. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tangvarasittichai S, Pimanprom A, Choowet A, Tangvarasittichai O. Association of iron overload and oxidative stress with insulin resistance in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major and beta-thalassemia/HbE patients. Clin Lab. 2013;59(7–8):861–8. - PubMed
    1. Flynn DM, Fairney A, Jackson D, Clayton BE. Hormonal changes in thalassaemia major. Arch Dis Child. 1976;51(11):828–36. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.11.828. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources