Effects of a new 75 g glucose- and high fat-containing cookie meal test on postprandial glucose and triglyceride excursions in morbidly obese patients

A new meal tolerance test (MTT) using a 75 g glucose-and high fat-containing meal was applied to classify glucose intolerance in morbidly obese patients. According to the MTT data, the concordance rate of diagnosis was 82.5% compared to the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 40). In the NGT patients, the insulinogenic index (r = 0.833), Matsuda index (r = 0.752), and disposition index (r = 0.845) calculated from the MTT data were each significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with those derived from the OGTT data. However, in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, n = 23) or diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 17), the postprandial glucose levels post-MTT were significantly lower than those post-OGTT, without increases in the postprandial insulin levels post-MTT. Thus, the severity of glucose intolerance measured by the MTT was milder than that indicated by the OGTT. Plasma levels of both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) were increased at the postprandial state, but only the GIP levels post-MTT were significantly higher than those post-OGTT. The enhancement of glucose disposal rates in patients with NGT or IGT after the MTT was associated with increased GIP levels. The postprandial hypertriglyceridemia induced by the MTT was associated with insulin resistance, but it was not associated with the impaired insulinogenic index or the disposition index. These results indicate that the new MTT is clinically useful to evaluate both abnormal glucose and triglyceride excursions caused by abnormal insulin sensitivity and secretions of insulin and gut hormones in morbidly obese patients.