DEVELOPMENT OF CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE IN OFFSPRING OF ASIAN INDIAN CONJUGAL TYPE-2 DIABETIC PARENTS

Sixty-four offspring of conjugal diabetic parents (OCDP) who were normoglycaemic initially were available for a retest after a period of 4-9 years. Among them 10 (15.6%) had developed diabetes, 19 (29.7%) had developed IGT and the remaining 35 (54.7%) had maintained normal GTT. The predictive value of the baseline (initial) parameters was tested. Among the non-obese OCDP (BMI <25 and <27 for women and men, respectively), the initial sum of plasma glucose (ΣPG), and the mean increment of insulin during GTT (ΔIRI), and the 2-h IRI values were higher in the group that developed abnormal glucose tolerance (P < 0.05 compared to controls and normal OCDP). They also had higher insulin: glucose ratios, indicating higher insulin output for a given glucose concentration. On the other hand, among the obese OCDP the initial parameters did not differ between those who developed abnormal glucose tolerance and those who did not. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the baseline Σplasma glucose value was significantly related to the final 2-h plasma glucose when all the OCDP were taken together (P = 0.0023) and also in the non-obese OCDP (P = 0.0002). The other parameter which showed a relation to the final 2-h plasma glucose was the baseline ΔIRI, although it was not statistically significant (P = 0.08). No such relation was observed in the obese group. © 1990.