Objectives. In this study, we aimed to verify a possible relationship between the onset of hyperglycemia in diabetes and prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose – IFG, impaired glucose tolerance – IGT and postprandial hyperglicemia) and the perturbations of hypothalamopituitary- adrenocortical (HPA) axis, by a non-invasive procedure of salivary cortisol determination. Matherial and Methods. We investigated 8 patients, younger that 65 years (mean age 52,75 ± 5,25 years) having risk factors for diabetes mellitus like abdominal
obesity or positive family history. All patients underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and 4 concomitent determinations of salivary cortisol levels, in basal condition, at wakening, and at 1, 2, and respectively 3 hours after oral administration of 75 grams of glucose. Results. Oral glucose tolerance test indicated that 5 patients have diabetes mellitus, 2 have IGT and 1 has normal glucose tolerance. The evolution of salivary cortisol levels in the morning showed that, concomitent with the peak of hyperglicemia at the third moment of determination (mean value 225,7 ± 47,3 mg/dl) it was registered a mild tendancy of reincreasing of salivary cortisol, at the same time (mean value 4,58 ± 2,40 ng/ml). Conclusion. These preliminary results disclose the importance of describing the pathological interconnection between the onset of diabetic disease and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis abnormalities.
- diabetes
- HYPERGLYCEMIA
- OGTT.
- SALIVARY CORTISOL
- stress