Glucose storage and oxidation in different degrees of human obesity measured by continuous indirect calorimetry

Abstract

Glucose disposal of a 100 g glucose load has been determined in 26 obese compared with 10 non-obese subjects by means of a new application of continuous indirect calorimetry. The obese subjects were divided into 4 groups, according to their degree of glucose intolerance and their insulin response to the glucose load. Through this division it appeared that subjects with no glucose intolerance were moderately obese while the groups with glucose intolerance showed a higher degree of obesity, glucose intolerance increasing with age. The 10 obese subjects with no glucose intolerance (group A) presented values for glucose disposal similar to those of the control subjects. The 4 obese subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (group B) showed no significant changes in glucose storage and in basal oxidation, but a significant decrease in oxidation in response to the load (11±2g vs 19±1 g in the control group, p <0.02). The 6 obese subjects with overt diabetes and elevated insulin response to the glucose load (group C) showed a significant decrease in glucose storage (34±6 g vs 63±1 g, p < 0.001) but not in oxidation. The 6 obese subjects with overt diabetes and decreased insulin response (group D) showed a significant decrease in glucose storage (25±4 g vs 63 ±1 g, p < 0.001) and oxidation (12±1 g, vs 19+1 g, p < 0.005). These observations show that in obese diabetics, glucose intolerance results primarily from decreased glucose storage and to a lesser extent from a decrease in glucose oxidation. © 1981 Springer-Verlag.