Pancreatic B-cell function in obesity

ABSTRACT

The study comprised 41 obese patients as a test group with age varying from 20 to 30 years and 10 healthy non obese subjects with matched age and sex as a control group. All the patients had morbid obesity [BMI] > 29.9]. In addition to the clinical examination the following investigations were done for all patients and control; plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, serum uric acid and pancreatic B-cell function was assessed by blood glucose [lasting and 2 hours post-prandial] plasma insulin and C-peptide, and anti-insulin antibodies. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in obese group especially in central and upper body obesity, and there were significant positive correlation of both of them with plasma insulin. Two hours post prandial blood glucose, plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, serum uric acid and plasma insulin were significantly higher in obese subjects and with more marked increase in patients with either central or upper body obesity. However, thought plasma C-peptide was significantly elevated in obese subjects, there was no significant relation to body fat distribution. Anti-insulin antibodies were not found in any of the studied cases. So there was B-cell hyperfunction with a higher degree of insulin resistance in central and upper body obesity