Patients with cystic fibrosis and normoglycemia exhibit diabetic glucose tolerance during pulmonary exacerbation

AbstractBackgroundPatients with cystic fibrosis and normoglycemia (CF-NGT) have higher but still “normal” glucose levels in the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Respiratory exacerbation is associated with metabolic stress. The objective of this study was to assess the glucose metabolism and its relation to the steady state pulmonary function (FEV1) in patients with CF-NGT, specifically during pulmonary exacerbations (PE).MethodsCF-NGT patients who were not on steroids, underwent OGTT and intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT) during PE and 4weeks after complete recovery.ResultsOf the ten recruited patients two had diabetic OGTT and were excluded. The remaining normoglycemic patients displayed during PE a diabetic glucose tolerance with mean glucose levels of 233±8 and 262±11mg/dl at 90 and 120min respectively, compared with normal levels of 154±21and 126±20mg/dl (p