The Effects of Sex, Menopausal Status, and Glucose Tolerance on Osteocalcin Levels in Endocrinology Outpatients: A Case-Control Study

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin levels concerning gender, menopausal status, and glucose tolerance in endocrinology outpatients. Material and Methods: A total of 178 endocrinology outpatients with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) findings were included. Data on anthropometrics [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (cm), body fat percentage (BFP), and fat mass], glycemic parameters [fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin), C-peptide, HbA1c, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)], blood lipids, and serum osteocalcin (OCN) levels [total osteocalcin (tOCN) and uncarboxylated osteocalcin (uOCN)] were compared with sex, menopausal status, and glucose tolerance status. Results: No significant difference was noted in the tOCN and uOCN levels concerning gender and menopausal status. tOCN was negatively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, BFP, and fat mass in patients with normal glucose tolerance (p<0.05) and premenopausal women (p<0.05). Besides, tOCN was negatively correlated with BFP and fat mass in patients with prediabetes (p<0.05) and positively correlated with fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR in the prediabetes group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings revealed no significant difference in tOCN and uOCN levels regarding sex, menopausal status or glucose tolerance. The likelihood of a more limited role and complex regulation of OCN-glucose homeostasis link in humans should be considered.