| Abstract: | Background: Nitric oxide plays an important role in hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction.Aim: To investigate the relationship between serum nitric oxide metabolite (NOx) levels and fasting glucose in a population-based study.Subjects and method: Serum concentration of NOx was measured by the Griess method in 3505 participants, aged 20–94 years, selected from a population-based study.Results: In men with impaired fasting glucose, each mmol/L increase in fasting serum glucose increased probability of serum NOx levels higher than median (> 25 μM) by 3.05-times (OR = 3.05 [95% CI, 1.15–8.07], p = 0.025) in non-adjusted and 3.76-times (OR = 3.76 [95% CI, 1.34–10.53, p = 0.012) in multivariable-adjusted analyses, while no significant associations were found in women. A direct association between fasting glucose categories and NOx values was found in men after multivariable adjustment (p = 0.006). Multivariable-adjusted serum NOx was significantly (p = 0.008) higher in diabetic men [34.1 (29.5–39.6) μmol/L] compared to non-diabetic ones [29.7 (26.5–33.2) μmol/L].Conclusion: The findings show increased serum NOx levels in men, but not women, with impaired fasting glucose and diabetes in a population-based study. |
