Major Pathophysiology in Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Decreased Insulin in Lean and Insulin Resistance in Obese

Lowering of body mass index (BMI) to ≥25 kg/m² as obesity by ADA suggests insulin resistance as a major mechanism of impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) in Asians. However, glimepiride, an insulin secretagogue, delayed onset of type 2 diabetes (DM2) from prediabetes (PreDM), indicating decreased insulin secretion (IS) as a major factor in lean (L; BMI < 27 kg/m²) subjects with IGM.

Assessment of IS and insulin resistance (IR) in L and obese (Ob; BMI ≥ 27 kg/m²) subjects with euglycemia (N), PreDM, and new onset DM2.

Seventy-five men and 45 women ages 36 to 75 years were divided into six groups: LN, LPreDM, LDM2, ObN, ObPreDM, and ObDM2.

Determination of IS by insulinogenic indices (I/G) at fasting (FI/FG), first phase (∆I/∆G), and cumulative responses over 2 hours of OGTT (CRI/CRG), and IR by FIXFG, ∆IX∆G, and CRIXCRG. Changes in IS and IR for PreDM and DM2 were calculated as % fall and % rise, respectively, from levels in N.

All indices of IS and IR were lower (P < 0.05) in L than corresponding Ob groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, decline in IS and rise in IR were progressive from N to PreDM (P < 0.05) and DM2 (P < 0.05) in both groups. However, the declines in IS were greater (P < 0.05) than rises in IR in LPreDM and LDM2. Whereas, the rises in IR were higher (P < 0.05) than declines in IS in ObPreDM and ObDM2.

In L, major mechanism of IGM is declining IS and not rising IR documented among Ob.