Salivary Glucose as a Non-Invasive Alternative in Monitoring Diabetics Attending General Hospital Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Monitoring glucose levels is crucial for effective management of diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder that remains a global health concern, implicating over 500 million people worldwide. The diagnosis of diabetes through blood is difficult in children, older adults, debilitated and chronically ill patients, so diagnosis by analysis of saliva can be potentially valuable as collection of saliva is noninvasive, easier and technically insensitive, unlike blood. The aim of the study was to correlate blood glucose level (BGL) and salivary glucose level (SGL) among individuals with normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and provisional diabetes mellitus (PDM).
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 423 patients aged between 18 and 65 years, categorised as 141 impaired diabetics, 142 provisional diabetics and 140 healthy individuals constituting the controls. The blood and unstimulated saliva samples were collected from the patients for fasting glucose levels. These samples were then subjected for analysis of glucose in blood and saliva via the enzymatic Glucose Oxidase Peroxidase (GOD-POD) end-point method, using RT-9200 Semi-auto Chemistry Analyser.
Results: The mean SGLs and BGLs were higher in provisional diabetics and impaired diabetics groups than in non-diabetic group (3.15:225.40 vs. 2.19:112.43 vs. 0.85:77.76 mg/dL; p-val=1.498852e-153), indicating a significant positive correlation between fasting saliva glucose and fasting blood glucose in all the groups.
Conclusion: In conclusion, tests measuring salivary glucose levels provide a promising alternative to conventional blood glucose tests in the realm of diabetes management, making it a reliable indicator. While addressing technical and clinical challenges requires additional research, the appealing non-invasive nature and the potential for frequent monitoring make salivary glucose level tests an attractive option for enhancing diabetes care. Future advancements in salivary glucose sensing technologies may revolutionise glucose monitoring, improving the quality of life for individuals with diabetes.