Higher glucagon-to-insulin ratio is associated with elevated glycated hemoglobin levels in type 2 diabetes patients
Open Access
- 1 September 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Korean Association of Internal Medicine in The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
- Vol. 34 (5), 1068-1077
- https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2016.233
Abstract
Background/Aims: The importance of a-cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of type a diabetes has re-emerged recently. However, data on whether relative glucagon excess is present in clinical settings are scarce. We aimed to investigate associations between glucagon-to-insulin ratio and various metabolic parameters. Methods: A total of 451 patients with type 2 diabetes naive to insulin treatment were recruited. Using glucagon-to-insulin ratio, we divided subjects into quartiles according to both fasting and postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratios. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 58 years, with a mean body mass index of 25 kg/m(2). The patients in the highest quartile of glucagon-to-insulin ratio had higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. HbA1c levels were positively correlated with both fasting and postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratios. Subjects in the highest quartile of postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratio were more likely to exhibit uncontrolled hyperglycemia, even after adjusting for confounding factors (odds ratio, 2.730; 95% confidence interval, 1.236 to 6.028; p for trend < 0.01). Conclusions: Hyperglucagonemia relative to insulin could contribute to uncontrolled hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients.Keywords
Funding Information
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (HI14C0336)
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