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Comparison of the relationship of age and beta cell function in three ethnic groups
Author(s) -
Chiu Ken C.,
Martinez Dorothy S.,
Chu Audrey
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2005.02213.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ethnic group , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , national health and nutrition examination survey , ageing , fasting glucose , insulin resistance , ethnic origin , glucose homeostasis , demography , population , environmental health , sociology , anthropology
Summary Design Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance increase with age. It has been demonstrated that beta cell function declines at about 1% per year in glucose tolerant Caucasians. However, this relationship is not known to exist in other ethnic groups. Subjects and Measurements We investigated the relationship of age to beta cell function (%B) and insulin sensitivity (%S), estimated by the homeostasis model assessment, in a nationally representative sample of healthy US adults who participated in a cross‐sectional study, the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Only those subjects who had never been told to have diabetes by a physician, with HbA 1C < 6% and fasting plasma glucose concentration < 5·56 mmol/l with proper fasting glucose and insulin concentration were included in this analysis (560 non‐Hispanic whites, 231 non‐Hispanic blacks and 298 Hispanics). Results Age was positively correlated to HbA 1C and fasting glucose concentration, but it was negatively correlated to %B in all three ethnic groups. In contrast, ageing had no influence on %S in all three ethnic groups. Pair‐wise comparison showed age had a similar influence among three ethnic groups on fasting glucose concentration, HbA 1C and %B, respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed an independent influence of age on fasting glucose concentration, HbA 1C and %B among three ethnic groups. Conclusions We observed %B declines at about 1% per year among all three ethnic groups. The age‐related rising fasting plasma glucose concentration and HbA 1C is most likely a consequence of age‐related decline in beta cell function.