2Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Nefroloji Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
3Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, 2Endokrinoloji ve Metabolizma, Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
4Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Gastroenteroloji, Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
5Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Klinik Biyokimya, Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
6Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, İç Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
Abstract
Objective: The nocturnal blood pressure (NBP) reduction is less than normal in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM). L-carnitine deficiency may cause changes of NBP by leading to hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in patients with type-2 DM. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there is a difference in levels of L-carnitine in dipper and nondippers patients with type 2 DM. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational cohort study. We compared the 50 (33 females, 17 males) patients with type 2 DM and the 35 healthy persons (18 females, 17 males) as a control group. In all cases, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed and L-carnitine was measured. The independent samples t test, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation analysis were used in the statistical evaluation of data. Results: We found that the percentage of nondipper pattern was 72% in patients with type 2 DM. L-carnitine levels were lower in patients with type 2 DM (52.77±12.34 μmol/L) than those of control group (79.18±10.59 μmol/L), and these differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). L-carnitine levels were lower in nondipper cases (50.02±16.30 μmol/L) than those of dipper cases (53.83±10.50 μmol/L), but these differences were not statistically significant (p=0.125). Conclusion: Nondipper pattern is common in patients with type 2 DM. Nondipper pattern is associated with damage of target organ. Therefore, determination of nondipper pattern by ABPM is very important. L-carnitine levels were found to be lower in nondipper patients than in dipper patients with type 2 DM. Although, these differences were statistically nonsignificant, more detailed studies should be performed to determine the frequencies and relationship between nondipper pattern and L-carnitine levels in patients with type-2 DM.