Disappearance Rate of Exogenous Insulin, Insulin Sensitivity, Responses of Plasma Growth Hormone and Cortisol and Urinary Epinephrine to Hypoglycemia in Prediabetic Subjects

Abstract

Insulin sensitivity was found to be increased in a group of nine prediabetic subjects, indicating that some mechanism(s) compensates for the decreased ability to secrete insulin in response to glucose. Diabetes probably develops in prediabetic subjects when such a compensation is lost. The disappearance rate of insulin was of identical magnitude in the prediabetic and normal groups, indicating that the lower plasma insulin values in prediabetes do reflect a decreased secretion of insulin. No difference was found between the two groups regarding the responses of HGH, Cortisol and epinephrine to hypoglycemia.

Key words

Insulin Disappearance Rate - Insulin Sensitivity - Growth Hormone - Prediabetes