Premium
Glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid metabolism in Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa
Author(s) -
Woert Melvin H. Van,
Mueller Peter S.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1971122part2360
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , insulin , levodopa , carbohydrate metabolism , metabolism , diabetes mellitus , glucose tolerance test , insulin resistance , disease , parkinson's disease
Metabolism of carbohydrate and insulin was evaluated in 24 patients with Parkinson's disease before and during L‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (levodopa) therapy. In the untreated state these patients had low rates of glucose utilization (k) and impaired release of insulin during an intravenous glucose tolerance test (GTT). These abnormalities could not be related to age, diet, or degree of neurological disability. In addition these untreated patients had high fasting serum glucose and free fatty acid (FFA), normal human growth hormone (HGH), and low fasting serum insulin levels. It is proposed that the primary abnormality in carbohydrate‐insulin metabolism observed in these parkinsonian patients is a deficit in pancreatic insulin release. Levodopa treatment did not alter the low k and impaired insulin release. A trend toward more normal fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, and FFA during levodopa therapy was suggested.