Peripheral Glucose Uptake during the Oral Glucose-tolerance Test in Normal and Obese Subjects and Borderline and Frank Diabetics

Abstract

Glucose uptake by the forearm muscle tissues has been studied during the 50-g oral glucose-tolerance test in 103 subjects. Thirty-seven were classified as normal (2-h blood-sugars below 120 mg per cent), 28 as borderline diabetics (2-h blood-sugars between 120 and 200 mg per cent), and 38 as diabetics (2-h blood-sugars above 200 mg per cent). The results confirmed earlier observations that glucose uptake is reduced in obesity and diabetes. The normal and borderline groups were indistinguishable. In both, glucose uptake was inversely correlated with the degree of obesity (glucose uptake = 0·898–0·193×skinfold thickness for the normal and 1·055–0·255×skiofold thickness for the borderline group). In the diabetic group this relationship had broken down. Glucose uptake was not related to age, the peak blood-sugar level, or in the normal and borderline groups to the blood-flow.