Carbohydrate tolerance and islet apparatus function in patients with different forms of hypothyroidism

: In 130 patients, aged 5 to 60 years, with different hypothyrosis forms (congenital, acquired, postoperative) glucose tolerance was studied. In 17 patients the insular apparatus functional state was investigated. The disturbed glucose tolerance corresponding to that of patients with latent diabetes mellitus prevailed in postoperative hypothyrosis, preceded by severe prolonged decompensated thyrotoxicosis, and in congenital hypothyrosis, which compensation required long-term administration of high doses of thyroid hormones. The flatting type of the glycemic curve occurred at an equal rate in young patients (35 to 40 years) with acquired (34.4 +/- 6%) and postoperative (32.4 +/- 8%) short-term hypothyrosis (1 to 3 years), demonstrating a good effect of the substitution therapy. The study of the insular apparatus functional state has shown, that hyperinsulinemia, resultant of glucose injection, prevails in the majority of patients with the thyroid hypofunction.