The effect of age and sex on the response of enteropancreatic polypeptides to oral glucose.

Enteropancreatic polypeptide responses during a 50 g oral glucose tolerance test were studied in 10 young men, 10 young women, 10 elderly men and 10 elderly women. Elderly females had higher gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) responses to oral glucose than elderly males. Elderly males and females had higher fasting and post-glucose human pancreatic polypeptide (HPP) levels than young males and females. N-Glucagon-like immunoreactivity (N-GLI) responses differed between the young and elderly. In the young, N-GLI levels fell after oral glucose but in the elderly they rose. Post-glucose C-glucagon-like immunoreactivity (C-GLI) responses were higher in elderly females than in young females. The significance of the higher plasma levels of GIP, N-GLI and C-GLI following oral glucose in elderly females compared to elderly males is unclear.