Effect of age and gender on blood lipids and glucose

Objective- 1-To correlate age with fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol 2-To compare fasting blood glucose levels among different quartiles of age 3-To compare the effect of gender on lipids and fasting blood glucose Methods- This cross-sectional study was carried out between May-2010 to April-2011 at the department of pathology & medicine, PNS RAHAT. Target population were adult subjects who visited the lab in exact medical fasting status for measurement of blood glucose to rule out diabetes mellitus. Based upon non-probability convenience sampling a total of 516 subjects were finally included in the study and sampled for fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The results were grouped as: Fasting blood glucose: [(Normal Glucose Tolerance=NGT 6.9 mmol/L)], Serum triglycerides:[ (Group-1 4.0 mmol/L)], [Total cholesterol:(Group-1 6.2 mmol/L)] and different age groups were made to compare the occurrence of different categories of glycemia and lipidemias. Results- The mean differences for fasting blood glucose across age groups were observed to rise from 21-30 years age group [5.01 (95% CI: 4.77-5.25) mmol/L] to higher levels [6.25 (95% CI: 5.63-6.87) mmol/L] in people having ages between 50-60 years; however, later in life the mean fasting blood glucose were observed to be lower. [P < 0.001].The lipids including total cholesterol and triglycerides rose till the 5th decade of life, and then settled/fall from ensuing 6th decade. Percentage wise most cases of diabetes mellitus were observed between ages 41-50 years. Gender differences were not significant between groups based upon glycemia and lipidemia. Conclusion- Fasting glycemia and lipidemia were observed to show significant differences among different age groups.