OBESITY INDICES AND ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC DRUGS RESPONSE

Abstract

The present study was planned to correlate obesity parameters (i.e. body mass index, waist to hip ratio and
percentage body fat) with dosages of oral hypoglycemic drugs for good control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Seventy patients (32 males and 38 females) attending Diabetic Clinic of Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore were included
in the study. Thirty four patients were classified as obese and 36 as non obese on the basis of percentage body fat.
No significant difference in waist/hip ratio, body mass index, fasting and post prandial glucose level was seen
between obese and non obese patients. Age of 57 out of 70 diabetic patients was >40 years and half of them were
seen to be obese. Obese patients above 40 years had significantly high BMI as compared to non obese patients. Forty
four (63%) patients showed good control, 17 (24%) had bad control while 9 (13%) were of borderline control of
diabetes. Among good control patients, non-obese subject showed significantly (p<0.01) lower incident of increase
waist to hip ratio and higher BMI while bad control and borderline subjects showed non-significant distribution.
Fasting and postprandial glucose levels of both good control-obese and bad control obese patients were significantly
higher as compared to non-obese patients. All the 70 patients in the present study were on hypoglycemic drugs, 11
patients (4 obese and 7 non-obese) on sulfonylurea showed good control on low dosage, whereas good control was
seen in 33 patients on high dosage metformin and combination therapy of sulfonylurea and metformin irrespective
of obesity of the patients, indicates insulin resistance. Thus insulin resistance may be due to some other factors rather
than the obesity and failure of release of insulin.