Patterns and Associations of Essential Trace Elements (Cu, Fe and Zn) in Saudi Adults with Varying Levels of Glycemia.

Sobhy Yakout,Fatimah Faqeeh,Nasser M Al-Daghri,Omar Al-Attas,Syed D Hussain

doi:10.3390/metabo11050297

Abstract

The homeostasis of trace elements were observed to contribute to certain diabetic outcomes. This cross-sectional study determined the differences and associations between serum levels of copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in Saudi patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as well as those with prediabetes. Anthropometrics were measured, and fasting blood samples were collected from 119 patients with T2DM (aged 41–64 years), 95 non-T2DM (aged 27–55 years) and 80 with prediabetes (aged 35–57 years). Circulating trace minerals were determined using an inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer. Serum levels of Cu and Fe were significantly lower in T2DM than non-T2DM (adjusted p-values < 0.001). There was no difference in the Zn levels of the T2DM and non-T2DM groups. The serum Cu levels were significantly lower in the prediabetes group than the non-T2DM group (p < 0.05). The serum levels of Cu, Fe and Zn were inversely associated with circulating glucose in the T2DM and prediabetes subjects (p-values < 0.001). In conclusion, the differences in circulating trace elements were observed in Saudi subjects with varying glycemic statuses, suggesting an inverse association between T2DM progression and the decreasing serum Cu, Fe and Zn levels. Intervention trials are warranted to determine whether early correction of trace mineral deficiencies is beneficial in populations at higher risk for T2DM.

Highlights

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is still growing in prevalence worldwide and is becoming a serious threat to human health [1]
Age-adjusted epidemiologic studies have estimated that the predominance of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was 31.6% in 2011 alone [3]
The present study aims to determine the patterns of essential trace elements such as Cu, Fe and Zn in Saudi adult subjects with varying levels of glycemia and to determine the associations between these trace elements among the T2DM and prediabetes subjects

Summary

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is still growing in prevalence worldwide and is becoming a serious threat to human health [1]. Age-adjusted epidemiologic studies have estimated that the predominance of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was 31.6% in 2011 alone [3]. This high prevalence has led to concerted efforts within the local research community in determining the genetic factors unique to the population [4,5] as well as promising adjuvant interventions for the Saudi Arabian T2DM population independent of established standard care [6,7,8]. They have several vital roles in human metabolism, chronically excessive or reduced concentrations of these elements can be toxic for the body’s health and may lead to several disorders such as T2DM [11]

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Conclusion