ANXIETY, GROWTH HORMONE AND GLUCOSE TOLERANCE IN NORMAL CHILDREN

Serum growth hormone and insulin responses to oral and i.v. glucose have been measured in 13 schoolchildren who had normal but relatively low oral glucose tolerance as judged from a preliminary study of a total population of 320 schoolchildren. The results were compared with those from 13 children paired for sex, age, weight and height but having average glucose tolerance. Serum growth hormone curves showed an initial peak starting before glucose ingestion in both groups. The rise was significantly higher in oral as well as i.v. glucose tolerance tests in the group with relatively low tolerance. This group had also a tendency to higher serum insulin values. It is suggested that the low carbohydrate tolerance in these children is produced by high growth hormone secretion, elicited by emotional lability.