Abstract
Summary
Plasma human growth-hormone (HGH) response to hypoglycemia was studied in normals, maturity-onset diabetics, and insulin-dependent diabetics. Interpretation of the response is valid only when equated to comparable levels of glucose. Hospitalized and nonhospitalized normals, although showing comparable basal HGH levels after 1 hr of rest, show significantly different responses to insulin. When hospitalized normals are used as controls, the maturity-onset diabetic group show a significantly higher peak response to a comparable degree of hypoglycemia.
Glucocorticoid administered as a single high dose every other day produces a significant lowering of the basal HGH levels and of the response to hypoglycemia in the insulin-dependent diabetic group.
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