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Insulin Sensitivity and Beta‐Cell Responsivity Are Not Decreased in Elderly Subjects With Normal OGTT
Author(s) -
Pacini G.,
Beccaro F.,
Nosadini R.,
Cohelli C.,
Crepaldi G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1988.tb02358.x
Subject(s) - medicine , insulin , endocrinology , basal (medicine) , insulin sensitivity , young adult , insulin response , ageing , glucose tolerance test , insulin resistance , plasma glucose
Glucose intolerance has been observed often in elderly subjects, but it is not yet clear whether this impaired metabolic state is due to the aging process itself or is secondary to the appearance of other age‐related variables. This study attempts to elucidate the effect of age in itself on factors controlling glucose tolerance. Several metabolic parameters were measured in 10 young male controls (23–29 yr) and 17 nonhospitalized, healthy, nonobese, old (60–80 yr) male subjects. Insulin binding to circulating cells was performed along with the intravenous glucose tolerance test, and the data were analyzed by the minimal model method. This approach yields the following measures: tissue insulin sensitivity (S I ), fractional glucose disappearance at basal insulin (glucose effectiveness, S G ), and first (φ 1 ) and second (φ 2 ) phase β‐cell responsiveness to glucose. Insulin‐binding capacity to monocytes and erythrocytes was respectively 6.03% ± 0.57% and 5.96% ± 0.53% (elderly), 5.97% ± 0.39% and 5.36% ± 0.57% (young); S I , was 6.20 ± 0.59 × 10 4 min −1 / (μU/mL) (elderly) and 6.35 ± 0.30 (young); S G was 0.016 ± 0.002 min −1 (elderly) and 0.019 ± 0.003 (young); φ 1 was 1.84 ± 0.29 min‐1(μU/mL)/(mg/dL) (elderly) and 3.37 ± 0.84 (young); φ 2 was 13.80 ± 1.78 × 10 4 min −2 (μU/mL)/(mg/dL) (elderly) and 9.59 ± 2.65 (young). These results show no change with aging of tissue insulin sensitivity and an intact β‐cell activity, suggesting that age per se does not contribute to the deterioration of glucose tolerance when the insurgence of other age‐relaled variables, eg, obesity and physical inactivity, is precluded.