Heterogenous insulin response to an oral glucose load by patients with the indeterminate clinical form of Chagas' disease
Guariento, M.E.; Saad, M.J.; Muscelli, E.O.; Gontijo, J.A.
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 26(5): 491-495
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0100-879X PMID: 8257938 Document Number: 422291
The behaviour of serum glucose and insulin in response to an oral glucose load in patients with the indeterminate clinical form of Chagas' disease was investigated. Sixteen patients and 28 healthy controls were studied following an overnight fast and 2 h after ingestion of 100 g glucose. There were no significant differences in serum glucose levels before and 2 hours after the glucose load between chagasic and healthy subjects. However, in 8 chagasic patients, the total area under the insulin curve was significantly lower than in controls and the remaining chagasic patients. The results suggest that the hypoinsulinaemia of this subgroup of chagasic patients may be secondary to reduced insulin secretion and/or to increased peripheral insulin sensitivity probably related to autonomic dysfunction.