Volume 1 number 1 Summer 2003
Special issue for the abstracts of the 7th Pan Arab Conference on Diabetes
PACD7 , 25 – 28 March 2003 Cairo

Abstract Number : 85
GLUCOSE TOLERANCE ABNORMALITIES ARE PREDICTED BY THE
HIGH FASTING INSULIN-TO-GLUCOSE RATIO IN HIRSUTE
WOMEN.

B.Ftouhi, M.Chihaoui, I. Daoud, F.Kanoun, F.Ben
Khalifa.
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology,
University hospital la Rabta, Tunis, Tunisia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It has been noted that glucose tolerance abnormalities are more frequent in hirsute
women. The determination of an index predicting further deterioration of glucose tolerance can be of
high interest in terms of prevention. So, the aim of the study was to determine whether glucose tolerance
abnormalities can be predicted by high fasting insulin-to-glucose ratio (I0/G0) in hirsute women.

POPULATION AND METHODS : It is a prospective study including 107 normoglycaemic (NG) women with
hirsutism: mean age = 25.5±6.5 years, mean body mass index = 29.1±6.6Kg/m2 , mean waist to hip ratio =
0.85±0.10. At baseline, clinical data (weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, systolic and diastolic
blood pressure) and metabolic variables (fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and
HDL cholesterol, and 2 hours after oral glucose load blood glucose and insulin) were determined. The
glycemic state was determined again at the end of the study. RESULTS: after a mean follow-up of 31.7±22.2
months, we noted 78 NG, 23 impaired fasting glucose tolerant (IFGT) et 6 diabetic subjects. The IFGT and
the diabetic ones had at baseline significantly higher body mass index (p<0.05), diastolic blood pressure
(p<0.005), two hours blood glucose (p<0.0005), triglycerides (p<0.05), fasting and post load insulin
(p<0.0005), and I0/G0 ratio (p<0.0005). The prevalence of IFGT and diabetes increased with I0/G0 ratio
quartiles whereas the prevalence of NG decreased (p<0.0005). 

CONCLUSION : I0/G0 ratio could be a high predictive risk factor of deterioration of glucose metabolism in hirsute women.

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