Background: Dysregulation of insulin and glucagon secretion alters the normal Insulin:Glucagon Ratio (IGR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. This study explores the scope of construing the role of these two diametrically opposing hormones on the glucose level not just in obesity but in different glucose tolerance states by looking at the hormone levels and at the insulin glucagon bipolar axis itself.

Materials and methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study of 60 healthy adults consisting of an equal number of adults who are lean and adults who are obese. It was conducted at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), located in Shillong City, Meghalaya, India. Fasting glucose, insulin, glucagon, and lipids were estimated. Postprandial estimation of glucose was done two hours after oral administration of 75 grams of glucose solution.

Result: The study demonstrated a state of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglucagonemia prevailing in obesity and all sub-categories of the group of persons who are obese. The study showed a higher fasting IGR in the group consisting of adults who were obese (with a mean of 4.11) when compared with the group of adults who are lean (with a mean of 2.24). Fasting IGR was seen to increase with increasing levels of insulin resistance and increasing impairment in glucose tolerance. IGR showed a positive correlation with the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in the Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) category and strongly in the Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) category.

Conclusion: Hyperglucagonemia in the group of adult persons who are obese indicates a decreased sensitivity of alpha cells to insulin failing insulin to adequately suppress the secretion of glucagon. The study also demonstrated a positive correlation between IGR and HOMA-IR in obesity and all glucose tolerance states of the group of adults who are obese. It is telltale that the sturdier the insulin resistance, the higher the IGR.

John A. Lyngdoh is an additional professor, in the department of physiology at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, India. He is a member of various committees in the institute and currently is the curriculum coordinator phase one. He has 24 publications to his credit. He has authored a book titled "Love the reason we live. A physiological Mandate" . He is also a member of the editorial boards of various journals and magazines. His areas of interest in research are metabolic and Endocrinology, Medical Education, Neurology, Sports Physiology and lately Intra-operative neuro-monitoring.