Carbohydrate metabolism, pancreas functional activity and diet in young residents of two ethnic groups in the North

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the type and balance of the diet, examine the hormonal regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in order to identify the etiology of hyperglycemic manifestations in young people of two ethnic groups residing in the territory of Magadan Oblast. Methods — Blood serum carbohydrate parameters were measured using the ion-exchange chromatography, enzymatically enhanced chemiluminescence, and the hexokinase method. Results — We established that the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index did not exceed the reference limits, which implied that the examined young men of two ethnic groups had no insulin resistance. The indigenous subjects demonstrated statistically significantly higher values of glycosylated hemoglobin, closely approaching the upper limit of the reference range. The blood insulin level in examined young men was lowered towards the lower limit of the reference range. Against the background of detected hyperglycemic manifestations in young men of two studied groups in Magadan Oblast, their dietary intake was characterized by insufficiency and imbalance in both micronutrient and macronutrient compositions. It was established that the observed diet contained an excessive amount of mono- and disaccharides in 49% of Caucasians and 72% of natives, which was 52% and 108% higher, respectively, compared with the reference range against the pronounced deficiency of chromium, copper, and vitamin D. Conclusion — The results indicated an unbalanced diet with excessive intake of mono- and disaccharides, along with reduced insulin secretion and increased glycosylated hemoglobin, which was more pronounced in the indigenous group, probably causing hyperglycemic manifestations in the carbohydrate metabolism observed in young residents of Magadan Oblast.