Comparison of β-Cell Function Between Overweight/Obese Adults and Adolescents Across the Spectrum of Glycemia

OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes is a growing health problem among both adults and adolescents. To better understand the differences in the pathogenesis of diabetes between these groups, we examined differences in β-cell function along the spectrum of glucose tolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated 89 adults and 50 adolescents with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), dysglycemia, or type 2 diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test results were used for C-peptide and insulin/glucose minimal modeling. Model-derived and direct measures of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity were compared across glycemic stages and between age-groups at each stage. RESULTS In adolescents with dysglycemia, there was marked insulin resistance (insulin sensitivity index: adolescents, median interquartile range 1.8 1.1–2.4 × 10−4; adults, 5.0 2.3–9.9; P = 0.01). The nature of β-cell dysfunction across stages of dysglycemia differed between the groups. We observed higher levels of secretion among adolescents than adults (total insulin secretion: NGT, 143 103–284 × 10−9/min adolescent vs. 106 71–127, P = 0.001); adults showed stepwise impairments in static insulin secretion (NGT, 7.5 4.0–10.3 × 10−9/min; dysglycemia, 5.0 2.3–9.9; type 2 diabetes, 0.7 0.1–2.45; P = 0.003), whereas adolescents showed diabetes-related impairment in dynamic secretion (NGT, 1,905 1,630–3,913 × 10−9; dysglycemia, 2,703 1,323–3,637; type 2 diabetes, 1,189 269–1,410; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Adults and adolescents differ in the underlying defects leading to dysglycemia, and in the nature of β-cell dysfunction across stages of dysglycemia. These results may suggest different approaches to diabetes prevention in youths versus adults.