Glucose Tolerance Insulin Resistance Test – GTIR

Early Detection of Diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome

By the time diabetes is diagnosed using conventional laboratory methods, patients may already have significant cardiovascular disease (1). Earlier detection of diaetes can allow early dietary modification, with the potential to arrest the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other manifestations of the Metabolic Syndrome.

A visionary paper by Kraft (2) demonstrates that measuring the insulin response during a routine glucose tolerance test dramatically improves the test sensitivity for insulin resistance. Many patients with normal or equivocal glucose tolerance curves showed abnormal insulin responses during the test, a condition which Kraft termed diabetes in situ. Early institution of low carbohydrate diets arrested, and in some cases reversed the development of insulin resistance.

Glucose Insulin Tolerance Test

Dr. Kraft Glucose-Insulin summary
Dr. Kraft Glucose-Insulin article

Learn more about testing for insulin resistance

References:

1. Meigs JB. The metabolic syndrome. BMJ. 2003 Jul 12;327(7406):61-2.

2. Kraft JR. Detection of diabetes melitus in situ (occult diabetes). Laboratory Medicine 1975;6: 10-22.