Plasma Insulin Pattern in a Hausa-Fulani Ethnic Group in Northern Nigeria

Background: Plasma insulin levels seem to play significant roles in health and disease; and prevailing plasma insulin levels are modulated by racial and ethnic factors. There has been no previous study of the plasma insulin pattern in any northern Nigerian tribe.
Methods: Thirty-six (24 males and 12 females) healthy volunteers of a northern Nigerian tribe were studied. Fasting plasma insulin and glucose levels were estimated; this was followed by a standard OGTT to study the plasma insulin response to oral glucose challenge. Results: Although there were marked individual variations with 16.7% of individuals demonstrating fasting hyperinsulinaemia, mean fasting plasma insulin levels were similar to those earlier reported elsewhere.
Conclusion: These findings are discussed in view of other factors known to modulate plasma insulin levels