Age-dependency of carbohydrate tolerance and insulin secretion
Adlung, J.; Otte, C.; Uthgenannt, H.
Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift 102(21): 726-730
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7672 PMID: 4645041 Document Number: 55420
Ten healthy volunteers in the age range 16 to 31 years were compared with 10 metabolically healthy clinic patients from 62 to 79 years old. Serum glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) were studied after intravenous injection of glucose 0.5 g/kg bodyweight and l g tolbutamide. The coefficient of glucose assimilation, Conard's k, was on average 3.51 in the young and 1.28 in the elderly group. Fasting IRI values were similar but both the maximum and the mean response to glucose load were significantly less in the elderly; the shape of the secretion curves also differed. It is suggested that deterioration of glucose tolerance with age may be related rather to pancreatic insufficiency than to insulin resistance or presence of antagonists. But deterioration of response to an unphysiological glucose load should not be interpreted as a sign that normal function is inadequate.