Comparison of the concentration of glycated haemoglobin in the diabetic and hypertensive-diabetic patients

Abstract

A total of 150 patients were divided into four groups. The groups were; A, normal subjects; (the control group); B, hypertensive group; C, the diabetic group. Group C was farther divided into two subgroups, the insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM–diabetics) and the non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM–diabetics). The last group, (group D) consisted of hypertensive–diabetics patients. This group was also divided into two subgroups, the hypertensive–IDDM patients and the hypertensive–NIDDM patients. Blood samples were collected from each patient in each group for the estimation of the fasting blood sugar levels and the levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbAic). Results showed marked elevated blood sugar levels in the diabetic and hypertensive-diabetic groups. The levels of glycated haemoglobin followed a similar trend, showing about 10.9% and 5.6% (% control) increases in IDDM and NIDDM diabetics respectively (p < 0. 05 in both cases). In the hypertensive - diabetic group, the increases were 13.0% and 15.2% (%control) in the IDDM and NIDDM subgroups respectively. There was no significant increase in blood sugar and glycated haemolobin levels in the hypertensive group. Correlation analysis showed that there is a good or positive correlation between the fasting blood sugar and the level of haempglobin glycation in the hypertensive–diabetic and diabetics patients. This relationship was linear but was weaker in the NIDDM than the IDDM of both the diabetic and the hypertensive-diabetic patients. Such a relationship did not appear to exist in patients suffering from hypertension. The increase in haemoglobin glycation level was more in the hypertensive-diabetics than the non-hypertensive diabetics. From the results, we suggest that there is a good and positive correlation between the fasting blood sugar level and the level of haemoglobin glycation in the diabetic and hypertensive–diabetics. That the haemoglobin glycation was more in the hypertensive–diabetics than the non-hypertensive diabetics provides an insight into the severe complications seen in hypertensive-diabetic patients.

Keywords: Blood sugar, glycated haemoglobin, diabetics, hypertensive-diabetics, positive correlation

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 5 (2) 2006: 45-51