HOW TO STUDY INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN MAN

The two most widely used methods for studying insulin sensitivity in m an are the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp and the intravenous glu cose tolerance test with minimal model assessment. The glucose clamp i s the reference method, well validated and easy to interpret, which al lows various extensions to the basic experimental procedure in order t o obtain more valuable information on the specific effects of insulin on the various aspects of glucose metabolism. However, it is time-cons uming and labour-intensive. In contrast, the intravenous glucose toler ance test is easier to perform, but its interpretation is much more di fficult and requires a modelling approach called the << minimal model >>. If the intravenous glucose tolerance test probably represents a go od screening test, mainly on a population basis, the glucose clamp sti ll remains the gold standard method to study insulin sensitivity in ma n.