Is biochemical hypoglycemia necessary during an insulin tolerance test?

ABSTRACT Objective The insulin tolerance test (ITT) has been accepted as the gold standard test for assessing the integrity of the growth hormone (GH) - insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The goal of the test is to achieve clinical and biochemical hypoglycemia at a blood glucose level ≤ 40 mg/dL to effectively and correctly assess the HPA and GH-IGF-1 axes. In this study, the GH and cortisol responses of patients who achieved and failed to achieve biochemical hypoglycemia during an ITT were compared. Subjects and methods One hundred thirty-five patients with pituitary disorders were included in the study. Samples for blood glucose levels were obtained after clear symptoms of clinical hypoglycemia developed. The patients were enrolled in the hypoglycemic and nonhypoglycemic groups according to whether their plasma glucose level ≤ 40 mg/dL or > 40 mg/dL during an ITT, and the groups were compared in terms of their GH and cortisol responses. Results The mean age, body mass index and waist circumference of the two patient groups were found to be similar. The mean blood glucose level was significantly lower in the hypoglycemic group than in the nonhypoglycemic group (19.3 and 52.0 mg/dL, respectively). When the two groups were compared in terms of peak cortisol and GH responses, no statistically significant differences were found. Conclusion The data presented suggest that clinically symptomatic hypoglycemia is as effective as biochemically confirmed hypoglycemia during an ITT. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2020;64(1):82-8

Adverse effects during the oral glucose tolerance test in post-bariatric surgery patients

ABSTRACT Objective The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is used in the screening of gestational diabetes, in diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in conjunction with fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence and risk factors of adverse effects of OGTT in patients who underwent bariatric surgery, in addition to proposing standardization for ordering the OGTT in these patients. Subjects and methods This study assessed the incidence of adverse effects in 128 post-bariatric surgery patients who underwent the OGTT. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were performed, the dependent variables were defined as the presence of signs (tremor, profuse sweating, tachycardia), symptoms (nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness), and hypoglycemia (blood glucose ≤ 50 mg/dL). Results One hundred and seventeen participants (91.4%) were female; 38 (29.7%) participants were pregnant. High incidence (64.8%) of adverse effects was observed: nausea (38.4%), dizziness (30.5%), weakness (25.8%), diarrhea (23.4%), hypoglycemia (14.8%), tachycardia (14.1%), tremor (13.3%), profuse sweating (12.5%) and one case of severe hypoglycemia (24 mg/dL). The presence of signs was associated with hypoglycemia (OR = 8.1, CI 95% 2.6-25.1). The arterial hypertension persisted as a risk factor for the incidence of signs (OR = 3.6, CI 95% 1.2-11.3). Fasting glucose below 75 mg/dL increased the risk of hypoglycemia during the test (OR = 9.5, CI 95% 2.6-35.1). Conclusion In this study, high incidence of adverse effects during the OGTT was observed in post-bariatric surgery patients. If these results are confirmed by further studies, the indication and regulation of the OGTT procedure must be reviewed for these patients.

Prediabetes en niños y adolescentes / Prediabetes in children and adolescents

Se considera la prediabetes en niños cuando los valores de glucemia no son normales, pero tampoco lo suficientemente elevados como para que sean criterios diagnósticos de diabetes mellitus (DM). El concepto actual se basa en criterios bioquímicos, sin embargo en el caso de la diabetes tipo 1 y la diabetes autoinmune de progresión lenta (LADA), creemos importante tomar en cuenta los marcadores de autoinmunidad pancreática que reflejen el deterioro temprano de la célula beta en individuos supuestamente sanos (prediabetes). Dada su envergadura como condición de riesgo, algunos investigadores consideran esta condición como una enfermedad; en cambio, nosotros creemos que no es más que un estadio preclínico de la diabetes..(AU)

Fisiopatología y progresión de las personas con prediabetes / Pathophysiology and progression of prediabetes persons

Actualmente se define la PD como la situación de riesgo de padecer DM 2 y complicaciones vasculares en las personas con tolerancia a la glucosa alterada (TGA) o glicemia en ayunas alterada (GAA). Se conoce que en la progresión de la PD hacia la DM 2 ocurren paralelamente cambios de la TG, de la sensibilidad a la insulina, modificaciones de los patrones de secreción de esta hormona ante los cambios de los niveles de la glucosa en el plasma, trastornos tisulares y fenómenos aterogénicos y trombogénicos, que dependen de estos trastornos. Las intervenciones para la prevención de la DM no deben dirigirse solamente a las personas con hiperglucemia en ayunas o posprandial, pues la heterogeneidad del cuadro clínico y metabólico de esta etapa obliga a ampliar la exploración a toda la población con factores personales o antecedentes familiares que potencialmente lo colocan en una situación de riesgo

Repercusión materna y perinatal de la glucemia alterada en ayunas / Maternal and perinatal repercussion of impaired fasting glycaemia

Objetivo: reportar la morbi-mortalidad perinatal y materna de este grado de intolerancia a la glucosa detectada durante el embarazo y que conjuntamente con el diagnóstico de Tolerancia a la Glucosa Alterada (TGA), se ha calificado de Prediabetes. Métodos: se estudiaron los resultados maternos y perinatales en 9 pacientes con resultado de la 2da. hora de la PTGo no patológica (menos de 7,8 mmo/L-140 mg/dL), pero que sí reunían criterios de Glucemia alterada en ayunas (GAA) según la OMS (6,1 a 6,9 mmol/L-110 a 125 mg/dL), en más de una ocasión. Resultados: en 4 de las pacientes fue necesario tratamiento con insulina regular humana Novonordisk a dosis que fluctuaron de 0,5 Ud/kg de peso corporal ideal a 1,6 Ud. El 50 por ciento de los RN presentaron exceso de peso corporal neonatal y 1 de ellos resultó superior a los 4 000 g, el cual desarrolló una hipoglucemia sintomática. Se detecta una anomalía congénita (Hidrocefalia), y 2 amenazas de parto pretérmino con necesidad de tratamiento anticálcico. Conclusión: la Glucemia alterada en ayunas (GAA) según nuestros resultados repercute severamente en la morbilidad materna y perinatal.

Objective: to report the perinatal and maternal morbimortality corresponding to this degree of glucose intolerance detected during pregnancy and that together with the diagnosis of Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) has been classified as Prediabetes. Methods: the maternal and perinatal results were studied in 9 patients with non-pathological respond at the second hour of the OGTT ( 7.8 mmol/L-140 mg/dL), but who fulfilled the criteria of impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) according to the World Health Organization (6.1 to 6.9 mmol/L-110 to 125 mg/dL) more than once. RESULTS: in 4 of the patients it was necessary the treatment with Novonordisk human regular insulin at doses ranging from 0.5 Ud/kg of ideal body weight to 1.6 Ud. 50 percent of the newborn infants presented excess of neonatal body weight. One of them with a weight over 4 000 g developed a symptomatic hypoglycaemia. A congenital anomaly (hydrocepaly) and two menaces of pretem delivery with need of anticalcic treatment were detected. Conclusion: Impaired fasting glycaemia according to our results has a severe impact on maternal and perinatal morbidity.