ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is a common disease associated with insulin deficiency or resistance. Most studies on diabetes focus on glucose, HbA1c and only a few on fructosamine. Insulin assay was never considered as part of the management of diabetes mellitus. The study was therefore carried out to relate serum fasting insulin level with other markers of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. Eighty eight diabetic patients and 88 non diabetic healthy controls were enrolled into the study. Blood specimens from these volunteers were collected and analyzed for insulin and HbA1c using ELISA and chromatographic methods respectively while glucose and fructosamine were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. Weight, height and blood pressure were also taken and body mass index calculated. Statistical analysis was carried out using Epi Info. Serum fasting insulin and other markers of glycaemic control were higher in diabetic patients than innon diabetic healthy controls. There is significant correlation between the serum fasting insulin with body mass index in diabetic patients (p = 0.0291) but not in non diabetic healthy controls (p = 0.1341). There was no correlation between other markers of glycaemic control and BMI in both diabetics and controls (p>0.05). Serum fasting insulin level correlated positively and significantly with glucose (p=0.0000, r= + 0.73), HbA1c (p=0.0000, r= +0.69) and fructosamine (p=0.0000, r= + 0.69). Insulin measurement may be a useful adjunct in the biochemical evaluation of diabetic Nigerians.