Insulin resistance and cigarette smoking.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G M Reaven.
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Cigarette smoking is associated with increases in plasma triglycerides and decreases in plasma high density-lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration. These changes not only increase risk of coronary heart disease but also are secondary to resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake or hyperinsulinaemia. To see whether there is a relation between cigarette smoking and insulin-mediated glucose uptake we measured plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, plasma glucose and insulin response to an oral glucose challenge, and insulin-mediated glucose uptake in 40 matched healthy volunteers (20 non-smokers, 20 smokers). Smokers had significantly higher mean (SEM) very-low-density-lipoprotein triglycerides (0.66 [0.10] vs 0.39 [0.03] mmol/l, p less than 0.02) and cholesterol (0.45 [0.06] vs 0.23 [0.04] mmol/l, p less than 0.005) concentrations and lower high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (1.16 [0.05] vs 1.51 [0.08] mmol/l, p less than 0.001). Although plasma glucose concentrations in response to the oral glucose load were similar in the two groups, plasma insulin response of the smokers was significantly higher (p less than 0.001). Finally, smokers had higher steady-state plasma glucose concentrations in response to a continuous infusion of glucose, insulin, and somatostatin (8.4 [0.2] vs 5.0 [0.3] mmol/l, p less than 0.001), despite similar steady-state plasma insulin concentrations. The findings show that chronic cigarette smokers are insulin resistant, hyperinsulinaemic, and dyslipidaemic compared with a matched group of non-smokers, and may help to explain why smoking increases risk of coronary heart disease.
Patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are more resistant to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake than are individuals with normal glucose tolerance. Evidence has also been published showing that first-degree relatives of patients with NIDDM are insulin resistant when compared with a matched group of relatives of subjects with normal glucose tolerance. In addition, the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake varies approximately fourfold in individuals with normal glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance of a degree comparable to that seen in patients with IGT or with Type II diabetes is present in a significant portion of the normal population. Given a defect in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, glucose tolerance can only be maintained if insulin-resistant individuals continue to secrete greater than normal amounts of insulin. As a corollary, glucose homeostasis will decompensate when the insulin secretory response begins to decrease, and the greater the decline in insulin secretion, the larger the increase in plasma glucose concentration. Resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and compensatory hyperinsulinemia seems to represent the basic defect in patients with NIDDM, with failure of beta-cell function and subsequent development of fasting hyperglycemia only occurring later. This general formulation has received considerable support from longitudinal studies of the natural history of NIDDM. The fact that an increase in ambient insulin concentration can prevent gross decompensation of glucose tolerance in an insulin-resistant individual does not mean that this compensatory response is benign.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
In order to assess the ability of nicotinic acid to decrease plasma glucose concentration, normal individuals were given continuous four hour infusions of either nicotinic acid (NA), somatostatin (SRIF), NA + SRIF, or 0.9% NaCl (Saline). Plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration decreased to about one-fourth of the basal value in response to either NA or NA + SRIF, associated with statistically significant decreases in plasma glucose concentration. The ability of NA and NA + SRIF to decrease plasma glucose concentration was seen despite the fact that plasma insulin concentrations also fell significantly during both infusions. Although plasma glucose concentration fell significantly in response to both NA and NA + SRIF, the effect of NA + SRIF was approximately twice as great as that seen with NA alone. The augmented hypoglycaemic effect of NA + SRIF as compared to NA alone was associated with a concomitant fall in plasma glucagon concentration. In contrast, plasma glucose concentration did not change following Saline, and was actually higher than baseline after the infusion of SRIF alone. These results provide evidence that NA can lower plasma glucose concentration in normal volunteers, and suggests that this is mediated by the NA-associated decrease in plasma NEFA concentration.
Various facets of glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism were compared in 76 normal volunteers--38 with and 38 without a family history of hypertension. The two groups were comparable in terms of age, gender distribution, and degree of obesity (both generalized and abdominal). Although the plasma glucose response to oral glucose was similar in both groups, glucose-stimulated insulin concentrations were significantly greater in volunteers with a family history of hypertension (P < .001). Furthermore, the steady state plasma glucose concentration during a constant infusion of glucose, insulin and somatostatin was significantly greater in subjects with a family history of hypertension (8.1 +/- 0.6 v 6.2 +/- 0.6 mmol/L, P < .001). Since the steady-state plasma insulin levels during the infusion were similar, these results indicate that normotensive individuals with a family history of hypertension are relatively insulin resistant. Finally, plasma very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride and VLDL cholesterol were higher in those with a family history of hypertension, as was the ratio of total to high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Thus, normotensive individuals with a family history of high blood pressure are insulin resistant, hyperinsulinemic and dyslipidemic when compared to a matched group of healthy volunteers without a family history of hypertension.
The metabolic changes associated with doxazosin treatment of hypertension were evaluated in ten patients with mild hypertension (mean +/- SEM = 150 +/- 3/100 +/- 1 mm Hg) and a plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration > 1.50 mmol/L. The blood pressure was lower after 4 to 6 months of doxazosin treatment (mean +/- SEM = 134 +/- 4/87 +/- 1 mm Hg), which was also associated with a significantly lower plasma insulin response to a 75 g oral glucose load, and lower plasma TG and cholesterol concentrations. In addition, insulin-mediated glucose uptake was significantly greater after doxazosin treatment. These data suggest that doxazosin treatment of patients with mild hypertension is associated with changes in insulin and lipid metabolism that should decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.
The effect of renal vascular hypertension on blood pressure and plasma glucose, insulin, and triglyceride concentration was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. Three weeks after the induction of renal artery sterosis, mean (+/- SEM) blood pressure was significantly greater (153 +/- 3 v 117 +/- 2 mm Hg, P less than .001) compared with that in sham-operated rats. However, the two groups were similar in terms of plasma glucose (140 +/- 3 v 140 +/- 2 mg/dL), insulin (27 +/- 3 v 23 +/- 2 microU/mL), and triglyceride (89 +/- 8 v 95 +/- 6 mg/dL) concentrations. Furthermore, blood pressure increased to a similar degree in the two groups of rats (22 +/- 4 v 24 +/- 2 mm Hg), as did plasma insulin (47 +/- 5 v 44 +/- 4 microU/mL) and triglyceride (407 +/- 50 v 381 +/- 46 mg/dL) concentrations, after 2 weeks of a high-fructose diet. These data indicate that experimental induction of renal vascular hypertension in normal rats was not associated with an increase in either plasma insulin or triglyceride concentration. Furthermore, the response of rats with renal vascular hypertension to a high-fructose diet was similar to that of the sham-operated group. These data support the view that hypertension, per se, does not lead to hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia in normal rats.
Plasma glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose challenge and fasting plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentration were compared in 25 normal individuals and 53 patients with high blood pressure. Patients with hypertension were further subdivided into two groups--normal electrocardiogram (EKG) (n = 24) or abnormal EKG (n = 29)--using the Minnesota code criteria. Patients with hypertension and an abnormal EKG had significantly higher plasma glucose and insulin concentrations following oral glucose than did the control population. Furthermore, plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration was higher and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration lower then normal in hypertensive patients with an abnormal EKG, and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol was higher in this subgroup. Values for patients with high blood pressure and a normal EKG were intermediate. Insulin-mediated glucose uptake was also measured in a subset of patients with hypertension and either a normal (n = 18) or abnormal (n = 17) EKG. When these two subgroups were compared, those with high blood pressure and an abnormal EKG were significantly more insulin resistant than patients with hypertension and a normal EKG. In addition, they also had higher plasma glucose and insulin responses to oral glucose, higher fasting plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, and an increase in the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol. Thus, patients with high blood pressure have abnormalities of glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism when compared to a nonhypertensive control group, and the magnitude of these metabolic defects is significantly greater in patients with high blood pressure who have EKG evidence of coronary heart disease.
Patients with hypertension tend to be glucose intolerant, hyperinsulinemic, and dyslipedemic. Since all of these changes increase risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), it is important to know what effect antihypertensive treatment has on these variables. The current open-labelled, uncontrolled study was initiated in order to extend our understanding of these issues. This study was performed in 19 patients with hypertension who were started on an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor, cilazapril, with hydrochlorothiazide (HC) added if needed to control blood pressure. Plasma glucose and insulin responses to oral glucose and lipid concentrations were measured before, 26, and 52 weeks after starting treatment. Patients treated with either cilazapril (n = 9) or cilazapril+HC (n = 10) did not differ in terms of original (mean +/- SEM) blood pressure (159 +/- 5/101 +/- 1 v 156 +/- 4/103 +/- 2 mm Hg), age (53 +/- 2 v 54 +/- 2 years), sex distribution (5M:4F v 7M:3F), or body mass index (24.4 +/- 0.5 v 24.2 +/- 0.9 kg/m2). Blood pressure was also similar after 26 (137 +/- 4/88 +/- 1 v 133 +/- 3/90 +/- 1 mm Hg) and 52 (137 +/- 4/87 +/- 1 v 134 +/- 4/89 +/- 2 mm Hg) weeks of treatment. Plasma glucose and insulin responses decreased by 8 +/- 3% (P less than .05) and 25 +/- 9% (P less than .002), respectively, in cilazapril-treated patients, but did not change in those treated with cilazapril plus HC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Elevated plasma insulin and triglyceride (TG) and decreased high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations have been shown to be risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). It has been suggested that these metabolic abnormalities are all secondary to resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. To examine this in more detail, we divided 18 non-diabetic, moderately overweight, sedentary men aged 25-50 years into three groups on the basis of their steady-state plasma glucose levels (SSPG): a low group, (n = 7; SSPG less than 8.3 mmol l-1), a middle group, (n = 6; SSPG 8.3-11.1 mmol l-1), and a high group (n = 5; SSPG greater than 11.1 mmol l-1). The high group had significantly higher fasting (P less than 0.05) and post-oral glucose challenge (P less than 0.01) insulin concentrations, higher fasting TG (P less than 0.05) and lower fasting HDL-cholesterol (P less than 0.05) concentrations than the other two groups. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio or physical endurance capacity as determined by maximal oxygen consumption during a treadmill test. The data suggest that insulin resistance has an effect on the modulation of plasma insulin, TG and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, independent of generalized, abdominal or physical endurance capacity.
A total of 41 patients with hypertension were identified in a survey of 732 healthy factory workers. Twenty-three of these individuals were receiving antihypertensive medication, whereas 18 cases were newly discovered. Plasma glucose and insulin responses to oral glucose and fasting plasma triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations of these 41 individuals were compared with those of 41 other factor workers, with normal blood pressure, matched with the hypertensive group in terms of gender, age, degree of obesity, job in the factory, and leisure-time activity. Patients with hypertension had significantly higher plasma glucose (P less than 0.05) and insulin (P less than 0.05) concentrations in response to oral glucose, as well as a higher plasma TG concentration (P less than 0.05). Similar findings were obtained when the treated and untreated hypertensive groups were analysed separately and compared with their respective control groups. However, there were no differences between the treated and untreated hypertensive groups. Ninety per cent of the normotensive group had a plasma insulin concentration of less than 500 pmol l-1 2 h after the glucose load. Using this value as the criterion for definition of hyperinsulinaemia, 41% of the patients with high blood pressure were hyperinsulinaemic. In addition to meeting this cut-off point, the patients with hypertension and hyperinsulinaemia were also glucose intolerant and dyslipidaemic. In conclusion, approximately 50% of an unselected group of patients with hypertension were hyperinsulinaemic. Insulin levels were comparable in treated and untreated patients with high blood pressure, and hyperinsulinaemic patients also tended to be glucose intolerant and dyslipidaemic.
In order to evaluate the relationship between peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count, insulin-mediated glucose uptake, and several risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), WBC, plasma glucose and insulin responses to a 75-g oral glucose challenge, fasting plasma cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and triglyceride concentration, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were determined in 63 consecutive female volunteers with normal glucose tolerance. The results demonstrated the presence of statistically significant correlation coefficients between WBC count and both insulin-mediated glucose disposal (r = 0.50, P less than 0.001) and insulin response to oral glucose (r = 0.50, P less than 0.001). Furthermore, WBC count correlated with plasma glucose response to oral glucose (r = 0.48, P less than 0.001), fasting plasma triglyceride (r = 0.37, P less than 0.005) and HDL-cholesterol concentrations (r = -0.38, P less than 0.005), and systolic (r = 0.22, P less than 0.1) and diastolic (r = 0.27, P less than 0.05) blood pressure. However, the only two variables significantly correlated with WBC count in multivariate regression analysis were insulin resistance (r = 0.49, P less than 0.01) and insulin response (r = 0.35, P less than 0.05). These data indicate that WBC count is significantly correlated with changes in carbohydrate and lipoprotein metabolism and blood pressure that increase the risk of CHD. However, it appears that these relationships are secondary to resistance to insulin-mediated glucose uptake and hyperinsulinaemia.
Vitamin A was administered to eight patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in conjunction with the two different test meals containing (as percentage of total calories) either 15% protein, 60% carbohydrate (CHO), and 25% fat or 15% protein, 40% CHO, and 45% fat. The vitamin A and test meals were given at noon (4 h after a standard breakfast), and blood was obtained hourly from noon to midnight for measurement of plasma glucose, insulin, triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol concentrations; concentrations of TG and cholesterol in Sverdberg floatation (Sf) unit above 400 and Sf 20-400 lipoproteins; retinyl ester concentration in plasma; and both Sf more than 400 and Sf 20-400 lipoproteins. The postprandial TG response in plasma, Sf more than 400 lipoproteins, and Sf 20-400 lipoproteins from noon to midnight was only slightly higher than values seen after consumption of the 60% CHO diet, which contained much less fat (25% vs. 45%) and the retinyl ester concentration was actually higher in both lipoprotein fractions after the diet containing the smallest amount of fat (60% CHO). Furthermore, the cholesterol concentration in the plasma and two lipoprotein fractions was identical after the two diets, despite the great difference in fat content. These data indicate that the acute ingestion of high CHO (60%), low fat (25%) diets by patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus led to little or no decrease in postprandial plasma or lipoprotein TG or cholesterol concentrations and an actual increase in concentration of potentially atherogenic small chylomicron and/or chylomicron remnants.
The effect of metformin treatment was studied in 13 patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), whose fasting plasma glucose concentration was greater than 10 mmol/L with maximal sulfonylurea doses. Patients were studied before and 3 months after receiving 2.5 g/day metformin. The fasting plasma glucose concentration (12.4 +/- 0.8 vs. 8.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/L), mean hourly postprandial plasma glucose concentration from 0800-1600 h (14.0 +/- 1 vs. 9.4 +/- 0.9 mmol/L), and glycosylated hemoglobin level (12.3 +/- 0.6% vs. 9.0 +/- 0.6%) were all significantly (P less than 0.005-0.001) lower after the administration of metformin. The improvement in glycemic control was associated with a 24% increase (P less than 0.05) in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake during glucose clamp studies and a 16% decrease in basal hepatic glucose production (P less than 0.05). Mean hourly concentrations of plasma insulin (411 +/- 73 vs. 364 +/- 73 pmol/L) and FFA concentrations (440 +/- 31 vs. 390 +/- 40 mumol/L) were also lower after 3 months of metformin treatment. However, neither insulin binding nor insulin internalization by isolated monocytes changed in response to metformin. Finally, plasma triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein triglyceride, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly decreased (P less than 0.01-0.001), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased (P less than 0.001) after metformin treatment. Thus, the addition of metformin to sulfonylurea-treated patients with NIDDM not in good glycemic control significantly lowered fasting and postprandial plasma glucose concentrations, presumably due to the combination of enhanced glucose uptake and decreased hepatic glucose production. Since the dyslipidemia present in these patients also improved, the results suggest that metformin may be of significant clinical utility in patients with NIDDM not well controlled with sulfonylurea compounds.
This study was initiated to explore the possibility that an increase in the supply of gluconeogenic precursors contributes to the overproduction of glucose by the liver in NIDDM patients. To address this issue, a form of experimental NIDDM was produced in rats by injecting a low dose (38 mg/kg) of STZ and comparing lactate and alanine production and PDH activity in skeletal muscle and isolated adipocytes from normal and diabetic rats. Skeletal muscle lactate production was measured by using a hindlimb perfusion technique and was significantly greater (P < 0.01) in the diabetic rats compared with two groups of control rats: one perfused at normal glucose levels and the other perfused at glucose concentrations comparable with those observed in diabetic rats. Alanine production by hindlimb from diabetic rats was 46% greater than hindlimbs from control rats perfused at normal glucose levels (P < 0.01) but was not significantly greater than control rats perfused at diabetic glucose levels. The percentage of glucose converted to lactate by muscle from both control groups was 4-5%, significantly lower than the 18% conversion rate observed in diabetic animals (P < 0.001). An increase in the ratio of lactate produced/glucose transport by isolated adipocytes from diabetic rats also was observed when measured in both the basal state (0.65 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.15 +/- 0.03, P < 0.01) and in the presence of maximal amounts of insulin (0.15 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.04 +/- 0.01, P < 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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OBJECTIVE: To define the relationship, if any, between insulin-mediated glucose disposal and serum uric acid. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of healthy volunteers. SETTING: General Clinical Research Center, Stanford (Calif) University Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six presumably healthy individuals, nondiabetic, without a history of gout. MEASUREMENTS: Obesity (overall and regional), plasma glucose and insulin responses to a 75-g oral glucose load, fasting uric acid concentrations, plasma triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, insulin-mediated glucose disposal, and urinary uric acid clearance. RESULTS: Magnitude of insulin resistance and serum uric acid concentration were significantly related (r = .69; P less than .001), and the relationship persisted when differences in age, sex, overall obesity, and abdominal obesity were taken into account (r = .57; P less than .001). Insulin resistance was also inversely related to urinary uric acid clearance (r = -.49; P less than .002), and, in addition, urinary uric acid clearance was inversely related to serum uric acid concentration (r = -.61; P less than .001). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary uric acid clearance appears to decrease in proportion to increases in insulin resistance in normal volunteers, leading to an increase in serum uric acid concentration. Thus, it appears that modulation of serum uric concentration by insulin resistance is exerted at the level of the kidney.