Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the association of fasting plasma insulin with age. Insulin levels are influenced by obesity, physical inactivity, and medications, e.g., thiazide diuretics and beta adrenergic blockers. Further, comorbidity and pre-terminal conditions may confound the age-association of insulin. 1197 random subjects from four birth cohorts of the general aged population in southern Finland were examined, and followed for five years. Insulin levels at baseline tended to increase in men to the age of 75 years (mean 15.1 mU/L, SE 2.18), and in women to the age of 80 years (mean 15.9 mU/L, SE 1.14). The same association was seen among survivors in a five-year follow-up. These associations remained significant after controlling for obesity, physical inactivity and hyperinsulinogenic medications.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Laakso M.: How good a marker is insulin level for insulin resistance? Am. J. Epidemiol. 137: 959–965, 1993.
Reaven G.M.: Role of insulin resistance in human disease. Diabetes 37: 1595–1607, 1988.
DeFronzo R.A.: Glucose intolerance and ageing. Evidence for tissue insensitivity to insulin. Diabetes 28: 1095–1101, 1979.
Ferrannini E., Vichi S., Beck-Nielsen H., Laakso M., Paolisso G., Smith U., European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance: Insulin action and age. Diabetes 45: 947–953, 1996.
Campbell A.J., Busby W.J., Horwath C.C., Robertson M.C.: Relation of age, exercise, anthropometric measurements, and diet with glucose and insulin levels in a population aged 70 years and over. Am. J. Epidemiol. 138: 688–696, 1993.
Feskens E.J.M., Kromhout D.: Hyperinsulinemia, risk factors and coronary heart disease, The Zutphen study. Arterioscler. Thromb. 14: 1641–1647, 1994.
Laron Z., Aurbach-Klipper Y., Flasterstein B., Litwin A., Dickerman Z., Heding L.G.: Changes in endogenous insulin secretion during childhood as expressed by plasma and urinary c-peptide. Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf.) 29: 625–632, 1988.
Manolio T.A., Savage P.J., Burke G.L., Liu K., Wagenknecht L.E., Sidney S., Jacobs D.R. Jr., Roseman J.M., Donahue R.P., Oberman A.: Association of fasting insulin with blood pressure and lipids in young adults. The CARDIA study. Arteriosclerosis 10: 430–436, 1990.
Maneatis T., Condie R., Reaven G.: Effects of age on blood glucose and insulin responses to a test mixed meal. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 30: 178–182, 1982.
Tietz N.W., Shuey D.F., Wekstein D.R.: Laboratory values in fit aging individuals — sexagenarians through centenarians. Clin. Chem. 38: 1167–1185, 1992.
Muller D.C., Elahi D., Tobin J.D., Andres R.: Insulin response during the oral glucose tolerance test: The role of age, sex, body fat and the pattern of fat distribution. Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 8: 13–21, 1996.
Burchfiel C.M., Curb J.D., Sharp D.S., Rodriguez B.L., Arakaki R., Chyou P-H., Yano K.: Distribution and correlates of insulin in elderly men. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 15: 2213–2221, 1995.
Kario K., Nago N., Kabaya K., Saegusa T., Matsuo H., Goto T., Tsutsumi A., Ishikawa S., Kuroda T., Miamoto T., Matsuo T., Shimada K.: Characteristics of the insulin resistance syndrome in a Japanese population. The Jichi Medical School cohort study. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 16: 269–274, 1996.
Kahn S.E., Larson V.G., Beard J.C., Cain K.C., Fellingham G.W., Schwartz R.S., Veith R.C., Stratton J.R., Cerqueira M.D., Abrass I.B.: Effects of exercise on insulin action, glucose tolerance, and insulin secretion in aging. Am. J. Physiol. 258: E937–E943, 1990.
Bagdade J.D., Bierman E.L., Porte D.: The significance of basal insulin levels in the evaluation of the insulin response to glucose in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. J. Clin. Invest. 46: 1549–1557, 1967.
Lithell H.O.L.: Effect of antihypertensive drugs on insulin, glucose and lipid metabolism. Diabetes Care 14: 203–209, 1991.
McKeigue P., Davey G.: Associations between insulin levels and cardiovascular disease are confounded by comorbidity. Diabetes Care 18: 1294–1298, 1995.
Strandberg T.E., Tilvis R., Lindberg O., Valvanne J., Sairanen S., Ehnholm C., Tuomilehto J.: High plasma insulin associates with lower LDL-cholesterol in elderly individuals. Atherosclerosis 121: 267–273, 1996.
Yamanouchi K., Nakajima H., Shinozaki T., Chikada K., Kato K., Oshida Y., Osawa I., Sato J., Sato Y., Higuchi M., Kobayashi S.: Effects of daily physical activity on insulin action in the elderly. J. Appl. Physiol. 73: 2241–2245, 1992.
Dixon W.J.: BMDP statistical software manual. University of California Press, Los Angeles, 1992.
Coon P.J., Bleeker E.R., Drinkwater D.T., Meyers D.A., Goldberg A.P.: Effects of body composition and exercise capacity on glucose tolerance, insulin, and lipoprotein lipids in healthy older men: A cross-sectional and longitudinal intervention study. Metabolism 38: 1201–1209, 1989.
Mohamed-Ali V., Gould M.M., Gillies S., Goubet S., Yudkin J.S., Haines A.P.: Association of proinsulin-like molecules with lipids and fibrinogen in non-diabetic subjects — evidence against a modulating role for insulin. Diabetologia 38: 1110–1116, 1995.
Pacini G., Beccaro F., Valerio A., Nosadini R., Crepaldi G.: Reduced beta-cell secretion and insulin hepatic extraction in healthy elderly subjects. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 38: 1283–1289, 1990.
Gumbiner B., Polonsky K.S., Beltz W.F., Wallace P., Brechtel G., Fink R.I.: Effects of aging on insulin secretion. Diabetes 38: 1549–1556, 1989.
Lindberg O., Strandberg T.E., Tilvis R.S., Valvanne J., Sairanen S., Tuomilehto J.: Elevated plasma insulin in a general aged population: an innocent companion of cardiovascular diseases. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 45: 407–412, 1997.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lindberg, O., Tilvis, R.S. & Strandberg, T.E. Does fasting plasma insulin increase by age in the general elderly population?. Aging Clin Exp Res 9, 277–280 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341830
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341830