Assessment of glucose effectiveness from short IVGTT in individuals with different degrees of glucose tolerance

Aims Minimal model analysis of intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) data represents the reference method to assess insulin sensitivity (SI) and glucose effectiveness (SG) that quantify the insulin-dependent and insulin-independent processes of glucose disappearance, respectively. However, test duration (3 h) and need for modeling expertise limit the applicability of this method. Aim of this study was providing a simple predictor of SG applicable to short test (1 h), as previously done with SI. Methods Three groups of subjects reflecting different glucose tolerance degrees underwent a 3 h IVGTT: subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 164), with defective glucose regulation (DGR, n = 191), and with type 2 diabetes (T2D, n = 39). Minimal model analysis provided reference SG and its components at zero (GEZI) and basal (BIE) insulin. The simple predictor CSG (calculated SG) was described by the formula CSG = α0 + α1 × KG/Gpeak, being KG the glucose disappearance rate (between 10 and 50 min) and Gpeak the maximum of the glucose curve during the test; α0 and α1 coefficients were provided by linear regression analysis. Results CSG and SG showed a markedly significant relationship in the whole dataset (r = 0.72, p < 0.0001) and in the single groups (r = 0.70 in NGT, r = 0.71 in DGR and r = 0.70 in T2D, p < 0.0001 for all); α1 × KG/Gpeak was significantly related to GEZI (r ≥ 0.60). Conclusions The interest for insulin-independent glucose disappearance is increasing, due to the recent availability of SGLT2 pharmacological agents, lowering glycemic levels without requiring insulin action. This study proposes a reliable predictor of SG based on IVGTT lasting 1 h only, and not requiring mathematical modeling skills.