Glucose utilization in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes: Evidence for a defect not reversible by acute elevations of insulin

Abstract

It has long been assumed that replacement of insulin in insulin-deficient diabetic patients will normalise glucose utilization. In this study, glucose utilization was measured in nine long-standing, poorly controlled diabetic patients and five control subjects, matched for age (33±3 versus 33±2 years) and ponderal index (22.9±1.3 versus 21.7±1.0). Glucose uptake was measured during steady state insulinaemia in the diabetic patients and control subjects, at euglycaemia (5.5±0.5 versus 5.4±0.3 mmol/l, respectively) and moderate hyperglycaemia (11.8±0.9 versus 10.2±0.7 mmol/l, respectively). At euglycaemia with similar free insulin levels (50±19 versus 43±9 mU/l; p> 0.6), the diabetic patients ..