Serum insulin levels in school children aged 9--12 in Westland, Holland.

In a study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in 2388 school children aged 9--12 years carried out in Westland, Holland, serum insulin levels at one hour after an oral challenge of 50 g glucose were measured in a systematically selected subsample of 715 children. The distribution and associations of serum insulin in these children are described. The mean insulin values were 24.6 muU/ml for boys and 32.0 muU/ml for girls. The difference between these means was statistically significant and remained so even taking measures of adiposity into account. Insulin values were positively related to levels of plasma sugar and systolic blood pressure in both sexes.