The Early Serum Insulin Response to Intravenous Glucose in Patients with Decreased Glucose Tolerance and in Subjects with a Familial History of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Intravenous glucose tolerance tests with estimations of K values and measurements of serum insulin concentrations at 0, 4, 6, and 8 min after the start of the glucose injection were performed in connection with a health examination survey of middle-aged men. The possible predictive value for later diabetes mellitus of early serum insulin response after intravenous glucose administration was evaluated by studying subjects with a familial history of diabetes mellitus and patients with different degrees of glucose intolerance. The following conclusions were drawn: The early appearance of glucose-stimulated serum insulin should be studied during the first 6 min after start of the glucose injection. The advantage of making calculations for early insulin secretion by including approximate considerations of the fractional removal rate of serum insulin is not apparent. Serum insulin values in patients with decreased glucose tolerance and subjects with a familial history of diabetes mellitus were best characterized by an insulin concentration index (glucose-stimulated early serum insulin concentration divided by basal serum insulin concentration). This index was significantly lower in these groups than in healthy controls.

Key Words:

• Diabetes
• glucose tolerance test
• intravenous
• insulin response
• early
• insulin
• serum concentration