Insulin action and secretion in healthy, glucose tolerant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Influence of body weight.

It is a matter of controversy, whether insulin action or secretion - or both - are disturbed in first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes. We intended to assess both the compensatory and the obesity-related part of insulin secretion. In order to dissect out the latter, matching for insulin sensitivity was mandatory to normalize for the compensatory part of hyperinsulinemia. In 154 healthy, glucose tolerant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes we directly quantified both insulin sensitivity (by euglycemic-glucose-clamp technique) and insulin secretion (oral glucose load; stimulated serum c-peptide). Insulin sensitivity was scattered over a wide range with a considerable overlap of both first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes and 97 controls without a family history of diabetes. Average insulin sensitivity was higher in controls (8.0+/-0.3 vs. 7.1 + 0.2 ml x kg-l x min-1, p < 0.05). Prevalence of insulin resistance (defined as controls, lowest tertile for insulin sensitivity) was 40% in first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin secretion after oral glucose was significantly increased in insulin resistant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes compared to insulin sensitive first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes. Early phase relative insulin secretion (30 min) expressed as x-fold increase above basal was smaller in insulin resistant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes than in insulin sensitive counterparts (5.3+/-0.4 vs. 7.3+/-0.5; p < 0.01). Body mass index was distributed over the whole range in insulin resistant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes. In the insulin sensitive subgroup absolute and relative secretion did not differ in obese (Body mass index >25 kg/m2) and insulin sensitivity-matched lean. In obese insulin resistant first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes absolute hyperinsulinemia was combined with reduced and delayed relative early insulin release. In summary, degree and prevalence of insulin resistance is higher in first degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes than in controls. However, both groups are of heterogenous metabolic composition and family history as major discriminator should not be overestimated. Our data suggest, that hyperinsulinemia cannot simply be explained as a compensatory event to balance insulin resistance. Hypersecretion is associated with insulin resistance predominantly in combination with obesity. It might be speculated that adipose tissue derived signals to the beta-cell might lead to hypersecretion only in the genetic background that also leads to insulin resistance.

Beta-blocking agents in patients with insulin resistance: effects of vasodilating beta-blockers.

Essential hypertension is--at least in many subjects--associated with a decrease in insulin sensitivity, while glycaemic control is (still) normal. It seems that in hypertensive patients, two major functions of insulin are impaired: there is insulin resistance of peripheral glucose uptake (primarily skeletal muscle) and insulin resistance of insulin-stimulated vasodilation. In view of some retrospective data and meta-analyses, which showed a less than expected reduction in coronary events (coronary paradox), the metabolic side effects of the antihypertensive treatment have received more attention. Many groups have shown that conventional antihypertensive treatment, both with beta-blockers and/or diuretics, decreases insulin sensitivity by various mechanisms. While low-dose diuretics seem to be free of these metabolic effects, there is no evidence for this in the beta-adrenergic blockers. However, recent metabolic studies evaluated the effects of vasodilating beta-blockers, such as dilevalol, carvedilol and celiprolol, on insulin sensitivity and the atherogenic risk factors. None of them decreased insulin sensitivity, as has been described for the beta-blockers with and without beta1 selectivity. This supports the idea that peripheral vascular resistance and peripheral blood flow play a central role in mediating the metabolic side effects of the beta-blocking agents, as the vasodilating action (either via beta2 stimulation or alpha1-blockade) seems to more than offset the detrimental effects of the blockade of beta (or beta1) receptors. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relevance of the radical scavenging properties of these agents and their connection to their metabolic effects. Therefore, the beneficial characteristics of these newer beta-adrenoreceptor blockers suggest that the vasodilating beta-blocking agents could be advantageous for hypertensive patients with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.