Association between irisin and vascular complications of type 2 diabetic patients: a prospective case–control study

Abstract Background Diabetes vascular complications are classified as either macrovascular (cardiovascular disease) or microvascular (nephropathy). These complications considerably raise the risk of morbidity and death. Irisin is a myokine that has been linked to metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between irisin and vascular complications among type 2 diabetic (T2DM) individuals. In this case–control study, the patients were put into four groups based on the occurrence of a diabetic cardiovascular complications and the presence of diabetic nephropathy into group 1: twenty T2DM cases without complications, group 2: twenty T2DM cases with diabetic nephropathy, group 3: twenty T2DM cases with cardiovascular complications, and group 4: thirty controls. History was taken, and clinical examination was done. Laboratory investigations (fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, HbA1C, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C and LDL-C, serum urea and creatinine, albumin/creatinine ratio, eGFR, serum irisin) were analyzed. Results Serum level of irisin was significantly lower in T2DM patients than in control. Also, irisin level was significantly lower in diabetic cases with vascular complications versus those without complications. Irisin level had a negative correlation to BMI and lipid profile in diabetic cases and had a positive correlation to eGFR in diabetic patients with cardiovascular complications. Conclusions Irisin level was significantly lower in T2DM patients than control and in diabetic patients with vascular complications than patients without complications. So, irisin may have a role as a marker of vascular complications in T2DM