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Glucose handling, diabetes and ageing
G Paolisso1, A Scheen, P Lefèbvre
1Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.
Hormone Research
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Aging impairs glucose homeostasis through mechanisms like reduced insulin secretion and environmental factors. However, impaired glucose handling in older adults may only occur with multiple co-existing pathological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Metabolic Science
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The link between aging and glucose homeostasis remains unclear, with incomplete understanding of age-related metabolic changes.
- Glucose metabolism is known to decline with increasing age, but the precise mechanisms are still under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review potential mechanisms contributing to impaired glucose handling in aging.
- To explore the roles of insulin secretion, insulin action, and environmental factors in age-related metabolic dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating aging, glucose metabolism, and related factors.
- Analysis of existing research on insulin secretion and action in older populations.
- Examination of environmental influences on glucose regulation in the elderly.
Main Results:
- Impaired insulin secretion and reduced insulin action are identified as key contributors to age-related glucose intolerance.
- Environmental factors play a significant role in the decline of glucose metabolism with aging.
- Not all elderly individuals exhibit glucose intolerance; it appears linked to the presence of multiple pathological findings.
Conclusions:
- Age-associated changes in insulin secretion and action, alongside environmental factors, contribute to impaired glucose handling.
- The development of glucose intolerance in aging is likely multifactorial and may be exacerbated by co-existing health conditions.