A study on malondialdehyde as a marker of lipid peroxidation in male and female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. It is associated with various life threatening complications like nephropathy, retinopathy, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease which adds up to the mortality among diabetics. These complications develop due to late presentation of the disease and delayed diagnosis. Oxidative stress which indicates the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the defensive antioxidant system is increased due to prolonged exposure to hyperglycemia. Increased oxidative damage plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complication. Malondialdehyde (MDA) a marker of lipid peroxidation, is thought to play an important role in development of atherosclerosis and other complications of DM. The study was undertaken to determine the MDA levels in the membrane of erythrocytes of diabetic patients and to study the relationship of lipid peroxidation with severity of diabetes. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in 30 normal controls and 50 type 2 diabetic cases. The cases included 27 diabetic males and 23 diabetic females. Diabetic patients, irrespective of their gender, showed an increase in the erythrocyte MDA levels which was statistically significant. The erythrocyte MDA levels showed a significant strong positive correlation with glycated haemoglobin. Increase oxidative stress in Type 2 diabetic subjects contributes to the development of diabetic complications. Therefore, measuring the MDA level during the follow up of diabetic patients would help to early diagnosis of diabetic complication.