title: Prevalence of insulin deficiency among initially non-insulin-dependent middle-aged diabetic individuals.
abstract: The endogenous insulin secretion capacity of 171 insulin-treated middle-aged persons with diabetes (81 men, 90 women) of the Kuopio University Central Hospital district (population 250,000), East Finland, was measured by the C-peptide response to glucagon. The prevalence of insulin deficiency among initially non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) individuals was calculated on the basis of those who were initially treated with diet or oral drugs and 3 yr or more after diagnosis had been treated with insulin and were insulin deficient in this study. The prevalence of complete insulin deficiency (postglucagon C-peptide undetectable) was among initially NIDDM individuals of the same region, 0.7% in men and 1.2% in women. Using the postglucagon C-peptide level of 0.20 nmol/L as a cut-off point, the prevalence of insulin deficiency was 2.0% in men and 1.9% in women and, on the basis of C-peptide level of 0.60 nmol/L, the prevalence of insulin deficiency was 3.5% in men and 2.7% in women. Our data suggest that the deterioration of insulin secretion capacity in NIDDM to the level that leads to insulin dependency occurs less often than has been previously suggested.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D005934:Glucagon