One- and two-compartment minimal models detect similar alterations of glucose metabolism indexes in hypertension

A standard intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was performed in 10 nondiabetic patients with essential hypertension (H group) and 9 normotensive control subjects (N group). A 2-compartment minimal model (2CMM) of glucose kinetics was applied to estimate indexes of glucose effectiveness, S-G(2), and insulin sensitivity, S-I(2), by means of a maximum a posteriori (MAP) bayesian estimation technique. These estimates were contrasted to the S-G(1) and S-I(1) indexes provided by the classic minimal model (1CMM). In both the H group and the H group, the 2CMM underestimated the glucose effectiveness and overestimated the insulin sensitivity. In the H group, S-G(2) was, on average, 63% of S-G(1) (P > .05) and S-I(2) was 137% of S-I(1) (P > .05). In the N group S-G(2) was 67% of S-G(1) (P > .05) and S-I(2) was 134% of S-I(1) (P > .05). The 2CMM detected a reduction of approximately 40% (P > .05) and approximately 48% (P > .05) in S-G(2) and S-I(2) estimates, respectively, from the H group to the H group. Despite its reduced complexity, the 1CMM also detected a reduction of approximately 35% (P < .05) and approximately 49% (P < .05) in the Sb and in S-I(1) indexes, respectively. Thus, the 1CMM and 2CMM showed a substantial equivalence in detecting a severe reduction in insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose effectiveness in hypertensive patients compared with normal. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.