Glucose Content of Normal Urine

Abstract

The glucose content of urine from 700 adults was determined quantitatively: 91% contained 1–15 mg./100 ml., with a mean of 6 mg., the remaining 9% had a higher glucose content, up to over 9,000 mg. Investigation of the second group showed 20% to consist of diabetics, the remaining 80% were renal glycosurias and lag glycosurias in the ratio of 2:1. The results of Clinistix tests were not wholly correlated to the quantitative findings: thus a few positive results were obtained in the normal group (1–15 mg./100 ml.), while a number of negative results were obtained in the group with higher glucose content. Males had a higher percentage of urines with raised glucose content (12.1%) than females (3.7%). The influence of age was studied, and the higher age groups were found to contain a larger percentage of glucose-rich urines, in both sexes. Excretion of glucose in 24 hours was studied in 30 volunteers: excluding renal glycosurics, the range was 31.7-93 mg., with a mean of 65 mg. The rate of glucose excretion was studied, and was found to be less subject to fluctuation than the glucose concentration of the specimens. The rate of nocturnal excretion was found to be less than diurnal: this fact was obscured by raised glucose content resulting from concentration of the overnight specimens. Both concentration and rate of excretion of glucose are increased after carbohydrate intake, indicating that glucose intolerance is a normal phenomenon. © 1965, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.