ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on aspects of nutrition which are of particular importance in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in older individuals. At the least, diabetes mellitus must be subdivided into two broad syndromes: insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Given the considerations, it seems apparent that the relationship between age and nutrition in patients with diabetes is of primary importance in NIDDM. The impact of uncontrolled IDDM on the nutritional status of an individual is enormous, and maintenance of normal growth and development in young individuals with IDDM remains an important clinical problem. Attempts to assess insulin secretion in the intact organism usually rely on measurement of plasma insulin concentrations after the administration of an insulin secretagogue. The rat responds to the stress by producing more ß cells, thereby managing to secrete the amount of insulin needed to overcome the age-related development of insulin resistance.
