Oral glucose tolerance and related factors in a normal population sample. I. Blood sugar, plasma insulin, glyceride, and cholesterol measurements and the effects of age and sex.

Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on 220 people, a representative sample of the employees of a large pharmaceutical company. Blood sugar and plasma immunoreactive insulin levels were measured on each sample of venous blood obtained before and at half-hourly intervals for two hours after 50 g. of glucose by mouth; plasma cholesterol and glycerides were measured on the fasting sample only.Women had higher mean insulin levels throughout the test, though their mean blood sugar levels were higher only at 90 and 120 minutes. In both sexes there were positive correlations between age and the levels of blood sugar, plasma cholesterol, and plasma glycerides. Though the levels of glucose rose with age, those of insulin did not.