BACKGROUND Microparticles (MPs) are vesicular structures shed from endothelial or circulating blood cells, after activation or apoptosis, and can be considered markers of vascular damage. We aimed to determine the levels of circulating MPs, their content of miRNA-126-3p and 5p, and their relationship with early endothelial activation/damage, in patients with different degree of glucose toleranc...

Our objective was to determine whether defects underlying impaired fasting glucose (IFG) are maintained and additive when combined with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (representing a progressive form of prediabetes) or are distinct in IFG/IGT (reflecting a parallel form of prediabetes). Volunteers with IFG (n = 10), IFG/IGT (n = 14), or normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 15) were matched for ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mRNA expression of adiponectin, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, the two recently cloned adiponectin receptors and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)gamma2 in adipose tissue of obese individuals before and during a very low calorie diet (VLCD) inducing weight loss. METHODS Twenty-three non-diabetic obese subjects with normal (NGT, n = 11) or impaired glucose to...

OBJECTIVE Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 is highly expressed in the liver and regulates hepatic glucose production and lipid metabolism in rodents. However, its role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in humans remains to be defined. The aim of this study was to quantitate circulating plasma FGF-21 levels and examine their relationship with insulin sensitivity in subjects with varying de...

OBJECTIVE Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) represents a pre-diabetic state. Controversy continues in regards to its pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in insulin sensitivity (IS) and secretion in obese adolescents with IGT compared with those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 12 obese adolesce...

BACKGROUND Attribute selection represents an important step in the development of discrete-choice experiments (DCEs), but is often poorly reported. In some situations, the number of attributes identified may exceed what one may find possible to pilot in a DCE. Hence, there is a need to gain insight into methods to select attributes in order to construct the final list of attributes. This study ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-diabetes and orthostatic hypotension and to examine the prevalence and correlates of orthostatic hypotension in community dwellers with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes, and diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS All participants were classified as having NGT (n = 1,069), pre-diabetes (n = 412), or diab...

UNLABELLED Aims/Introduction:  The aim of the present study was to determine the predictors of deterioration of glucose tolerance in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and abdominal obesity, and whether a lifestyle intervention to reduce visceral fat is effective in these individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS   The study subjects were 251 individuals who had abdominal obesity with c...

OBJECTIVE To characterize in detail the association between insulin sensitivity and islet function in relation to glucose tolerance in nondiabetic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study included 108 postmenopausal women, aged 57-59 years, with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and measured glucose tolerance (World Health Organization, 75 g glucose), i...