Minimal model: perspective from 2005

RN Bergman - Hormone research, 2006 - karger.com
Hormone research, 2006karger.com
The minimal model was proposed over 25 years ago. Despite (or because of) its simplicity it
continues to be used today–both as a clinical tool and an approach to understanding the
composite effects of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity on glucose tolerance and risk for
type 2 diabetes mellitus. The original assumptions of the model have led to an
understanding of the kinetics of insulin in vivo, as well as the relative importance of β-cell
compensatory failure in the pathogenesis of diabetes. The disposition index (DI), a …
Abstract
The minimal model was proposed over 25 years ago. Despite (or because of) its simplicity it continues to be used today–both as a clinical tool and an approach to understanding the composite effects of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity on glucose tolerance and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The original assumptions of the model have led to an understanding of the kinetics of insulin in vivo, as well as the relative importance of β-cell compensatory failure in the pathogenesis of diabetes. The disposition index (DI), a parameter emerging from the model, represents the ability of the pancreatic islets to compensate for insulin resistance. There is evidence that a locus on chromosome 11 codes for the DI, which has a significant heritability and can predict type 2 diabetes better than any known genetic locus. Even today, the model continues to be a subject of scientific discovery and discourse.
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