August 28, 2005
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Type 2
Question from India:
With a Glucose Tolerance Test, if the one hour reading in 99 mg/dl [5.6 mmol/L], but the two hour reading is 177 mg/dl [9.8 mmol/L], is this insulin resistance? Using a diet to control blood sugars, my postprandial blood sugar was 107 mg/dl [5.9 mmol/L]. I am 44 years old, weigh 96 kg (211 pounds), am 5 feet, 8 inches and have no symptoms of diabetes. Would the insulin resistance be reversible if I were to lose 30 kg (66 pounds)?
Answer:
If I understand you correctly, your two hour glucose level after oral glucose was 177 mg/dl [9.8 mmol/L]. This is officially termed impaired glucose tolerance. Over 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L], it would be diabetes. Less than 140 mg/dl [7.8 mmol/L] is normal. You may able to normalize this with weight loss and exercise. This was shown to be an effective intervention in the Diabetes Prevention Program. With successful intervention, the OGTT may normalize.
JTL
