Differences In Glucose-Tolerance In Turners Syndrome Depending On Age

Carbohydrate homeostasis was evaluated in 41 Turner-syndrome (mean age 11.5±2.7, range 5-16yrs) and in 25 short normal girls (mean age 10.8±2.7, range 6-16 yrs) by means of DGTT. Impaired glucose tolerance was present in 31.7% of patients and in 8% of controls (p < 0.025). Mean glucose at 60' (p< 0.05), 90' (p < 0.01), 120' (p < 0.05), glucose peak (p < 0.005), and the integrated curve (p < 0.005) were significantly higher in the patients. Mean insulin levels were lower than in controls and the difference was significant at 30' (p < 0.05) and for the mean peak (p < 0.05). The insulinogenic index was lower in the patients (p < 0.005). Subdividing all the subjects into 2 groups (older or younger than 12 yrs) we found that while in the 17 patients < 12yrs mean glucose level was higher than in the 18 controls of the same age with significant difference at 60' (p<0.025), 90' (p < 0.005), 120' (p<0.05) and for the peak (p<0.05) and the integrated curve (p<0.01), no differences were present in the 24 patients > 12yrs whose glucose profile was similar to that of the controls. Both the Turner groups however had mean insulin values lowe (the difference was significant at 120' for the first group and at 60', 120', 160', peak and area for the 2nd group) and an insulinogenic index in the 1st group (p < 0.005) significantly lower than the controls. In the older Turners, insulin release, although lower than in the controls, shows better metabolic efficiency and this could be due to the low or absent estrogen levels of these patients.