Interleukin-6 in impaired fasting glucose

Prediabetes is associated with the features of metabolic syndrome and inflammation contributing directly to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was conducted to explore the utility of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in determining the risk of CVD in prediabetes. It involves estimation of IL-6 & insulin along with its correlation with insulin, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), Insulin resistance (IR) and physical measurements. Eighty subjects were grouped into 40 prediabetes and 40 normoglycemic on the basis of FPG values. The mean insulin, IL-6, Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and anthropometric measurements were found to be significantly higher (P <0.05) in prediabetes group. IL-6 had a significant correlation with fasting insulin (r = -0.413) and HOMA-IR (r = -0.413), but no correlation with FPG (r = -0.227) in the prediabetes group. IL-6 also showed a positive correlation with body mass index BMI(r = -0.339), waist circumference WC (r = -484) and waist-to-hip ratio WHR (r = -0.430). This study concludes that prediabetes is associated with inflammation, increasing the risk of CVD in these individuals.