Summary
160 women and 133 men over 50 were chosen for the experiment. They were divided into three age groups. In order to study a group of subjects who were normal for their age, caution was taken to discard known overt diabetics and to avoid any interfering factor that might influence glucose tolerance. The results are expressed by the median and the 5th and 95th percentiles. The median increases progressively with age. There is a highly significant difference between subjects over and under 65, but none between sexes. The 5th percentile varies very little whereas the 95th percentile shows a large increase. This is more evident in women than in men. This would indicate an increased prevalence of diabetes with age rather than a general reduction of glucose tolerance. The therapeutic problems are discussed.
Résumé
L'expérimentation porte sur 160 femmes et 133 hommes de plus de 50 ans répartis en 3 classes d'âge. L'étude d'une population âgée normale a nécessité l'exclusion des diabétiques avérés et de tout facteur diabétogène possible. Les résultats sont exprimés par la médiane et les percentiles 5 et 95. La médiane augmente progressivement avec l'âge; la différence entre les sujets de plus et de moins de 65 ans est hautement significative, sans variation statistique entre les sexes. Le percentile 5 évolue très peu, par contre on observe une augmentation importante des valeurs du percentile 95; cet aspect est plus marqué chez les femmes. Ces données démontreraient une fréquence croissante du diabète avec l'âge plutôt qu'une diminution générale de la tolérance au glucose. L'implication thérapeutique est discutée.
Zusammenfassung
Die Untersuchung bezog sich auf 160 Frauen und 133 Männer über 50, verteilt auf drei Altersgruppen. Um ein normales Bevölkerungsmuster zu untersuchen, wurden bekannte, manifeste Diabetiker und Patienten mit diabetischer Veranlagung ausgeschlossen. Die Resultate wurden ausgedrückt in Medianen und den Perzentilen 5 und 95. Der Median steigt allmählich mit dem Alter. Es existiert ein hoch signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Altersklassen über und unter 65, aber nicht zwischen beiden Geschlechtern. Das Perzentil 5 schwankt wenig, das Perzentil 95 hingegen steigt stark. Dies ist ausgesprochener bei Frauen als bei Männern der Fall. Dieses würde dann eher eine steigende Frequenz des Diabetes mit dem Alter bedeuten, als eine allgemein verringerte Grlucosetoleranz. Die therapeutische Bedeutung wird besprochen.
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Lauvatix, J.P., Staquet, M. The oral glucose tolerance test: A study of the influence of age on the response to the standard oral 50 g glucose load. Diabetologia 6, 414–419 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212074
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212074