Abstract
Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in 30 post-menopausal women before and after 1 mth and 6 mth of cyclic 17β-oestradiol/norethisterone acetate substitution therapy. Before undergoing treatment the patients were divided into three groups comprising subjects with normal glucose tolerance, subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetic subjects receiving oral diabetic treatment respectively. Carbohydrate metabolism was evaluated during a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test following a 100 g glucose load. Both blood glucose and plasma insulin values were measured. The fasting serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also determined. Hormone substitution therapy had no effect on fasting blood glucose values in any of the three groups. At the end of the 6 mth substitution therapy, however, it was found that the blood glucose values in the subjects with impaired glucose tolerance were significantly lowered by the end of the 2-h test period. The glucose areas under the curve during oral glucose tolerance tests following the hormone treatment were also reduced in this same group. In the case of insulin, the areas under the curve remained unchanged in all three groups. Fasting serum cholesterol levels tended to fall, while the triglyceride levels remained unaltered, during the hormone treatment periods. However, a slight increase in triglyceride levels was observed in the subjects with impaired glucose tolerance.
Published Version
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