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To determine how the levels of leptin and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) are associated with insulin resistance (IR) in obese, non-obese, diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.112 type 2 diabetics and 43 non-diabetics were studied fasting. Anthropometric indices were measured and glucose, insulin, leptin and MCP-1 were measured in blood. IR was calculated.MCP-1 level was significantly higher in diabetics than non-diabetics irrespective of gender (p0.05). Irrespective of diabetes status, the serum leptin concentration was significantly higher (p0.05) in obese and females subjects than in non-obese and male subjects respectively. There were no significant correlations between IR and MCP-1 or leptin in all subgroups of subjects studied. General linear modelling analysis showed that only diabetes state significantly predicted MCP-1 levels (p0.05) whereas non of the factors predicted leptin levels (p0.05).Routine measurement of leptin and MCP-1 would be potentially useful in assessment of patients for the metabolic syndrome or coronary heart disease especially in black population.

Tobago and Trinidad are two Caribbean islands with distinct genetic background and lifestyles; while Tobago is serene and a tourist centre, Trinidad is characterized by a hustling and bustling lifestyle. The study was aimed at determining and comparing the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its critical components in type 2 diabetic patients using the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition.Four hundred and thirteen (166 Tobago, 247 Trinidad) type 2 diabetic patients visiting 10 lifestyle disease clinics were studied. Blood pressure, anthropometric parameters (height, weight, body mass index and waist circumference) and overnight fasting blood samples were taken. Plasma glucose and serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, insulin, and adiponectin were determined. Insulin resistance (IR) was determined using the HOMA method.The patients in Tobago were significantly older than patients in Trinidad (p0.001) but the duration of diabetes (9.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 11.1 +/- 0.7 yr), medications, generalized (31.7 vs. 38.8%) and central (78.5 vs. 83.7%) obesity were similar (p0.05). In comparison with patients in Tobago, diabetic patients in Trinidad, irrespective of gender, had significantly higher prevalence of IDF critical components such as raised BP, raised triglycerides and reduced HDL-cholesterol (all, p0.001). Thus, while more patients in Trinidad were diagnosed with MetS based on three or four components, more patients in Tobago were diagnosed based on two components (p0.001).There were high prevalence rates of the components of the MetS in both the islands of Tobago and Trinidad. Quantitatively, the aggregation of the components is higher in patients in Trinidad, which constitute greater risk for adverse cardiovascular outcome. Controlling central obesity should be the target in preventing MetS in the two islands.

Primary prevention of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in diabetic patients should be based on absolute CHD risk calculation. This study was aimed to determine the levels of 10-year CHD risk in Caribbean type 2 diabetic patients using the diabetes specific United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) risk engine calculator.Three hundred and twenty-five (106 males, 219 females) type 2 diabetic patients resident in two Caribbean Islands of Tobago and Trinidad met the UKPDS risk engine inclusion criteria. Records of their sex, age, ethnicity, smoking habit, diabetes duration, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin were entered into the UKPDS risk engine calculator programme and the absolute 10-year CHD and stroke risk levels were computed. The 10-year CHD and stroke risks were statistically stratified into15%, 15-30% and30% CHD risk levels and differences between patients of African and Asian-Indian origin were compared.In comparison with patients in Tobago, type 2 diabetic patients in Trinidad, irrespective of gender, had higher proportion of 10-year CHD risk (10.4 vs. 23.6%, P0.001) whereas the overall 10-year stroke risk prediction was higher in patients resident in Tobago (16.9 vs. 11.4%, P0.001). Ethnicity-based analysis revealed that irrespective of gender, higher proportion of patients of Indian origin scored30% of absolute 10-year CHD risk compared with patients of African descent (3.2 vs. 28.2%, P0.001).The results of the study identified diabetic patients resident in Trinidad and patients of Indian origin as the most vulnerable groups for CHD. These groups of diabetic patients should have priority in primary or secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.