The Relationship between Age and the Insulin Response to Glucose Load

Abstract

Insulin response to an oral glucose load (50gm.) being observed in 1325 patients of ages 13 to 91 years, analysis of insulin response to glucose were performed mainly in relation to age.
The insulin response to glucose was calculated as SIRI/SBS values, the ratio relating to serum insulin areas to the blood glucose areas during oral glucose tolerance tests.
The results were as follows:
1) For the relationship between age and the insulin response to glucose, the SIRI/SBS values had to be transformed into decimal logarithm values.
2) For the purpose of the statistical assays between age and the insulin response to glucose, the SIRI/SBS values had higher significance than the ΔIRI/ΔBS or ΣIRI/ΣBS values, although the latter has been generally used.
3) Concerning non-obese groups, a positive correlations between age and the insulin response to glucose were admitted in each groups of Normal, Borderline DM and DM, while such correlations could not be seen in regard to obses groups.
4) Both the Young (ages 13-39 year) and Adult (ages 40-59 year) non-obsee DM groups showed apparently lower values than those in Normal as to the insulin response to glucose, whereas the Aged (ages 60-91 year) non-obese DM groups were hard to distinguish from Normal.
5) Less influence of a factor “obesity” to the insulin response to glucose was observed in the aged than in the Young or the Adult.