Low SHBG Predicts Insulin Resistance.
Introduction: The connection between hormones like testosterone, proteins such as SHBG, and insulin resistance in males with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes was explored. It's a crucial investigation because understanding these connections may help treat and manage diabetes more effectively.
Methods: In this research, 48 males recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were thoroughly examined between March and December 2022. Various aspects like their overall health, hormone levels, and SHBG were collected for analysis.
All participants were given a robust treatment involving an insulin pump to control their sugar levels for a week. After that, their insulin sensitivity was gauged using a method called the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. This step was vital to know how responsive their bodies were to insulin. Various statistical tools were then applied to find out how different factors are related and to identify a clear cutoff value to predict insulin resistance.
Results: The study discovered that 40 of the 48 patients had insulin resistance, meaning their bodies didn't respond to insulin as they should. These patients had lower levels of testosterone and SHBG. This group was compared with the remaining 8 patients who had normal insulin sensitivity.
There were strong correlations found. Insulin sensitivity was linked positively with testosterone and SHBG but negatively with body mass, blood sugar levels, and some other health markers. One crucial finding was that SHBG alone could predict insulin resistance, with a specific cutoff value determined through the ROC curve.
Conclusions: The study concluded that SHBG is a powerful and independent predictor for insulin resistance in men who have been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This finding can help in early identification and possibly lead to more targeted treatment strategies for those with type 2 diabetes. It emphasizes the importance of hormones and specific proteins in understanding and managing diabetes, making it a significant step forward in diabetes research.
Huang, R., Wang, Y., Yan, R. et al. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin is an Independent Predictor for Insulin Resistance in Male Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Ther (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-023-01445-x
Might you be wondering what your SHBG level is? Let us check it and see if we might be able to target insulin resistance and prevent Diabetes. Jason & Rita...aka Dr. De Leon and Dr. Gillespie
