Abstract
In Libya, obesity and its associated conditions, such as diabetes, are serious health issues. Early identification of those who are obese may reduce the risk of developing T2DM. Thus, this study aimedto compare measurements of fasting blood glucose (FBS) and glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c) levels in obese or overweight and non-obese University of Tripoli students. The study included 53 obese and overweight students with a BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 and 64 non-obese who had a BMI less than 25 kg/m2. To measure the level of FBS and HbA1c, 4 ml of venous blood was drawn from each subject in the University Infirmary. The samples were transferred to the Tajoura Alwasat laboratory, and both the plasma blood level and HbA1c were measured using an automatic device,COBAS INTEGRA 400 plus. There were no significant differences obtained in blood glucose either in FBS or in HbA1c levels between obese or overweight and non-obese students (p>0.05). However, a strong positive correlation was obtained between HbA1c levels for both waist circumference and waist/hip ratio in the obese or overweight group [r=0.322, P=0.023] and [r=0.316, P=0.025],respectively.The incidence of T2DM might be diminished by encouraging young adults to keep both waist circumference and waist/hip ratio in the normal range