Fasting Blood Glucose Level Among Apparently Healthy Adults in Maiduguri North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: For the past decades there has been an increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus worldwide including this environment, subsequently, baseline data is needed particularly in environment dependent on transferred reference values to access the level of fasting blood glucose. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate fasting blood glucose in apparently healthy adults in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study involving 308 participants: 258 apparently healthy non-pregnant adults, comprised of 162 males and 96 females and 50 pregnant women. A structured questionnaire was administered to those that consented and the subjects did overnight fast (between 10 and 12hours) before blood sampling. Blood glucose was measured using standard methods. Mean values of fasting blood glucose and body mass index were presented as mean ± standard deviation. Results: There was no significant difference in the fasting blood glucose of male (4.38±0.67 mmol/L) and female (4.38±0.60 mmol/L) subjects, (p = 0.93). The body mass index of female subjects 24.57±5.01 kg/m2 was significantly higher than their male counterparts 23.39±4.46 kg/m2 (p =0.05). There was an increasing trend of fasting blood glucose level (p = 0.85) and body mass index (p = 0.01) and also with increasing parity among the pregnant women. Conclusion: The fasting blood glucose level increases with weight, age, gestational age, and parity in pregnant women.