Changes in Insulin Secretion and Insulin Sensitivity in Relation to the Glycemic Outcomes in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance in the Indian Diabetes Prevention Programme-1 (IDPP-1)

OBJECTIVE

The Indian Diabetes Prevention Programme-1 (IDPP-1) showed that lifestyle modification (LSM) and metformin were effective for primary prevention of diabetes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Among subjects followed up for 3 years (n = 502), risk reductions versus those for the control group were 28.5, 26.4, and 28.2% in LSM, metformin (MET), and LSM plus MET groups, respectively. In this analysis, the roles of changes in secretion and action of insulin in improving the outcome were studied.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

For this analysis, 437 subjects (93 subjects with normoglycemia NGT], 150 subjects with IGT, and 194 subjects with diabetes) were included. Measurements of anthropometry, plasma glucose, and plasma insulin at baseline and at follow-up were available for all of them. Indexes of insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) and β-cell function (insulinogenic index ΔI/G]: 30-min fasting insulin divided by 30-min glucose) were also analyzed in relation to the outcome.

RESULTS

Subjects with IGT showed a deterioration in β-cell function with time. Individuals with higher insulin resistance and/or low β-cell function at baseline had poor outcome on follow-up. In relation to no abnormalities, the highest incidence of diabetes occurred when both abnormalities coexisted (54.9 vs. 33.7%, χ² = 7.53, P = 0.006). Individuals having abnormal insulin resistance (41.1%) or abnormal ΔI/G (51.2%, χ² = 4.87, P = 0.027 vs. no abnormalities) had lower incidence. Normal β-cell function with improved insulin sensitivity facilitated reversal to NGT, whereas deterioration in both resulted in diabetes. The beneficial changes were better with intervention than in the control group. Intervention groups had higher rates of NGT and lower rates of diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

In the IDPP-1 subjects, beneficial outcomes occurred because of improved insulin action and sensitivity caused by the intervention strategies.Primary prevention studies in diabetes have been done in subjects with a high risk for diabetes, such as those with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (1–6) or with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (7). Lifestyle modification (LSM) (1–5) and/or pharmacological agents such as metformin (MET) (1,5) and glitazones (6) have been shown to be effective in reducing the rate of conversion of IGT to diabetes in different ethnic groups. The benefits are seen in association with weight reduction in the obese population (1,2) or without significant weight changes in relatively nonobese population (3,5). The mechanisms that result in the beneficial changes are associated with two important pathophysiological components, namely impaired secretion and impaired action of insulin.The Indian Diabetes Prevention Programme-1 (IDPP-1) had shown that moderate, but consistent, LSM or use of MET reduced the risk of deterioration of IGT to diabetes by 28% in relation to that in a control group who had no intervention in a 3-year follow-up period (5). Combining LSM with MET showed no added benefit.IGT, an intermediate state in the natural history of type 2 diabetes, is characterized by a worsening in insulin resistance and insulin secretion (8). Asian Indians have higher rates of insulin resistance than Europeans and other white populations despite being relatively nonobese (9,10).The chief pathophysiological components of type 2 diabetes, namely impaired secretion and action of insulin are detectable many years before the diagnosis of clinical diabetes (11). A combined occurrence of both defects due to gradual deterioration, eventually results in diabetes. This analysis was done to identify the changes in insulin secretion and insulin action that produced the improved outcome with the primary prevention strategies in the IDPP-1 cohort.