[The relationship between metabolic control and the plasma total homocysteine in type 2 diabetes treated with insulin].

Objective: To study the relationship between metabolic control and the plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) in type 2 diabetes treated with insulin.

Methods: A total of 68 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited. At baseline and the end of 3 month therapy, fasting blood samples were collected for measuring fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, tHcy and other routine biochemical testing and postprandial blood was collected to measure postprandial blood glucose (PBG).

Results: FBG, PBG and HbA1c decreased significantly (P < 0.01) after 3 month intensive insulin therapy. tHcy also decreased, but the decrease did not reach statistic significance (P > 0.05). 7.0% of HbA1c was selected as the cut point judging the level of metabolic control. The HbA1c level was less than 7.0% in 31 (45.6%) patients after insulin treatment alone. In these patients, FBG, PBG and HbA1c significantly decreased, when compared with those of pre-treatment. The plasma tHcy decreased significantly as well.

Conclusions: After insulin treatment, the plasma tHcy decreases when the metabolic control is improved significantly.