A novel test for the simultaneous measurement of pancreatic beta-cell function, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance has been developed and validated.

 

Non-diabetic individuals without impaired glucose tolerance were examined in order to derive equations that are more accurate than those that are currently available for estimating the insulin sensitivity index (S1) and the acute insulin response (AIR). The test is based on an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

 

Information on sex and body mass index is combined with analysis of plasma glucose and serum insulin levels (OGTT) in the fasting state, (measured up to 8 times during 4 hours [full models]) to provide estimates of S1 and AIR that are highly correlated with indexes obtained from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test.

 

Because of the simplicity of these models they can be implemented in large-scale metabolic, genetic, and epidemiological studies.