Serum osteocalcin levels in saudi females with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Al Madinah Al Munawarah

Background: Osteocalcin (OC), a bone-derived protein hormone, regulates glucose and fat metabolism. In Saudi population, the relationship between serum OC levels and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is limited. The association of OC with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is also not clear. Objectives: We performed a case–control study to explore the relationship between OC and Type 2 DM and CVD among Saudi females in Almadinah. Materials and Methods: A case–control study was conducted between January 2017 and January 2019 for 50 female patients with Type 2 DM attending Prince Abdelaziz Ben Maged Ben Abdelaziz Diabetic Center in Almadinah enrolled as research subjects. Fifty Type 2 DM female patients, aged about 30–55 years, and 50 age-matched healthy female control subjects were enrolled in our study. After overnight fasting, total OC, glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and lipid profile were analyzed to determine association of OC with glucose intolerance and lipid profile. Data processing was performed using GraphPad Prism 7 (GraphPad Software, CA, USA). Results: There was a significant elevation in the frequency of low OC levels in Type 2 DM patients compared with controls (P < 0.001). Fasting serum glucose varied inversely with the OC tertials (P = 0.049). However, no statistically significant difference was noted in HbA1c or lipid levels with the OC tertials. The Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP = Log10 [TG/HDL]) was 36% among Type 2 DM patients, indicating higher cardiovascular risk, while 26% had intermediate risk, with increased frequency of low OC levels in patients with high and intermediate cardiovascular risk compared to low-risk patients group (P = 0.047). Conclusions: Low serum OC level was associated with impaired glucose metabolism and increased cardiovascular risk in Type 2 diabetes.