T Suzuki

Age-related changes in postprandial plasma glucose in type 2 diabetes

vancing age. Spence in 1920 was the first to document that the glucose metabolism was impaired in subjects over the age of 60 yr. Since this initial observation, numerous reports have appeared showing that glucose tolerance declines as a function of age. The decline begins in the third or fourth decade of life and continues through the entire adult life span. This agerelated decline in the glucose metabolism appears to have only a small effect on the fasting plasma glucose concentration, which rises by 1 mg dl per decade. On the other hand, following oral glucose ingestion, the 1h plasma glucose response has been shown to increase by 4~14 mg dl(mean=9 mg)per decade and the 2h plasma glucose value by 1~11 mg dl(mean=5 mg dl)per decade. Therefore, two-thirds of elderly diabetic patients have postchallenge hypergylcemia during oral glucose tolerance tests without fasting hyperglycemia. Some investigators say that elderly type 2 diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycemia also have increased postprandial hyperglycemia relative to their younger counterparts . But, whether or not this is true remains to be proven. Daily blood glucose profiles were measured in 98 type 2 diabetic patients treated with diet alone. The subjects were divided into two groups according to whether they were<65 years old(middle-aged group, mean age; 54.7±8.3 y old)or≧65 years old(elderly group, mean age; 72.8±5.7 y old). They were considered to have overt diabetes only if their fasting plasma glucose concentrations were greater than 126 mg dl on 2 separate occasions. All patients were admitted to our hospital and were prescribed a weightmaintaining diet(25~30 kcal kg standard body weight). Patients with before breakfast plasma glu―Short Communications―