The Reproducibility and Reliability of Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Indices in Children and Adolescents.

CONTEXT

Insulin sensitivity and secretion indices can be useful tools in understanding insulin homeostasis in children at risk for diabetes. There have been few studies examining the reproducibility of these measures in pediatrics.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether fasting or oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived insulin measures would be more reproducible and whether there would be differences based on weight, sex, race, and pubertal status.

DESIGN

Observational study.

SETTING

Clinical research unit.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred fifty-seven overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 85th%, = 186) and normal weight (BMI < 85th%, = 71) children without diabetes between ages of 8 and 17 were included in the study.

METHODS

OGTT tests performed in study participants at two separate visits within a 3-week period. We performed two formal oral glucose tolerance tests within a 3-week period. The reproducibility of fasting measures was compared with OGTT-derived measures by weight categories and compared by weight, sex, race, and pubertal status. Comparisons were made between the correlation coefficients of fasting vs. OGTT-derived measures and between normal weight vs. obese/overweight participants, male vs. female, White vs. Black, and pre- vs. post-midpubertal. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for each comparison as well.

RESULTS

For insulin sensitivity, the OGTT-derived measure was more reproducible than the fasting measures. There were no significant differences in reproducibility in the overweight/obese population compared to the normal weight population nor by sex, race, or pubertal status.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonfasting insulin sensitivity measures are more reproducible than fasting insulin sensitivity measures, regardless of weight category. Insulin secretion measures have poor reproducibility overall. Weight status, sex, race, and midpubertal stage do not impact the reproducibility of insulin sensitivity and secretion measures.