Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship between fasting serum resistin level and insulin resistance (IR)in the elderly type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).Meth-ods 120 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected and divided into the MS group (n =68)and the non-MS group (n =52).60 healthy elderly people were selected as the control group.Height,weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,body mass index (BMI),waist hip ratio (WHR)were observed and recorded in all the groups.The serum resistin and high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP)levels,and the levels of fasting blood glucose (FPG),total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),blood uric acid (BUA),fasting insulin (FINS),glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)were detected and compared.Results The serum resistin level of the MS group was significantly higher than that of the non-MS group (P <0.05),and the level of the non-MS group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P <0.05).HOMA-IR of the MS group or the non-MS group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P <0.05).The serum hs-CRP level of the MS group was significantly higher than that of the non-MS group or the control group (P <0.05).The metabolic indexes of BMI,waist circumference,WHR,systolic pressure,diastolic pressure,TG level of the patients in the MS group were significantly higher than those of the non-MS group or the control group (P <0.05).The serum HDL-C level of the MS group was significantly lower than that of the non-MS group or the control group (P <0.05).FINS level of the MS group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P <0.05).Themultiple linear regression analysis on the patients in the MS group showed HOMA-IR (β=0.468,P <0.05)and WHR (β=0.307,P <0.05)were the related factors of the serum resistin level (P <0.05).Conclusion There are generally IR symp-toms in the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The patients complicated with MS have the significant increased serum resistin and inflammatory mediators levels at the same time.The serum resistin level is associated with severity of IR and abdominal obesity of the patients.