Improvement of glucose tolerance by bezafibrate in non-obese patients with hyperlipidemia and impaired glucose tolerance.
Glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity and hypertension may have a close interrelation based on insulin resistance. We selected 28 impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) patients with hyperlipidemia. The IGT patients demonstrated hypertriglyceridemia associated with hyperinsulinemia, a typical manifestation of insulin resistance. Administration of bezafibrate at 400 mg/day for 4 weeks to the IGT patients with hypertriglyceridemia resulted in an improvement of the plasma glucose level and insulin response to 75 g oral glucose loading associated with a concomitant decrease in non-esterified fatty acids. The ratio of the level of serum C-peptide to that of insulin after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was augmented after 4 weeks of bezafibrate administration. However, reduction of the cholesterol level with pravastatin did not alter these parameters. These results suggest that treatment to reduce the level of serum triglycerides, but not that of cholesterol, may have a beneficial effect for improving insulin resistance even in the non-obese subjects with IGT and decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease.
Fourth Department of Medicine, Saitama Medical School, Japan.
I
I
Inoue
K
K
Takahashi
S
S
Katayama
S
S
Akabane
K
K
Negishi
M
M
Suzuki
J
J
Ishii
S
S
Kawazu
D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000150:complications*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D017035:Pravastatin; D001629:Bezafibrate