Plasma catecholamines, dietary carbohydrate, and glucose intolerance: a comparison between young and old men

Catecholamines play an important role in glucose homeostasis. This study was designed to determine whether circulating catecholamine changes in the elderly play a role in the glucose intolerance of aging and whether these changes are related to dietary carbohydrate intake. Plasma catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and glucose were measured before and for 2 h after the administration of 100 g oral glucose in both 18 young (age, 18-39 yr) and 20 old (age, 60-82 yr) normal men during ad libitum home diet and after 3-day weight-maintaining, high or low carbohydrate formula diets in the Clinical Research Center. The elderly men had higher plasma norepinephrine levels before and after oral glucose than the young men even when eating matched formula diets. Plasma epinephrine levels were similar and decreased significantly after oral glucose in both groups. There was no relationship between catecholamine levels and degree of glucose tolerance. A high carbohydrate diet improved glucose tolerance in both old and young subjects. However, changes in dietary carbohydrates were not associated with consistent changes in plasma catecholamines. Therefore, we conclude that 1) glucose intolerance of aging cannot be explained by changes in plasma catecholamines, 2) the age-related increase in plasma norepinephrine is unrelated to dietary carbohydrate intake, and 3) there is no effect of age on suppression of plasma epinephrine after oral glucose administration.