American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 19, 345-351, Copyright © 1966 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Glucose Tolerance Test

Variability in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women

¹ From the Fifth and Sixth (Boston University) Medical Services, Boston City Hospital, and the Diabetes and Arthritis Field Research Section, U. S. Public Health Service, Boston, Massachusetts

The sources of variation in blood sugar measurements were examined in a group of fifty-three nonpregnant and fifty-two pregnant women who had repeated glucose tolerance tests.

Under standardized conditions, the blood sugar variation within the individual subject was estimated to be contributing, in general, over 50 per cent of the total variability both in the fasting state and following the oral ingestion of glucose. This is discussed in relation to the clinical observation that the range of blood sugars of fifty-three different women is greater than the range found within an individual.

Fasting blood sugars were less variable in pregnant than in nonpregnant women. Postglucose values were more variable, the pregnant women accounting for an estimated 60 to 68 per cent as compared with the 46 to 55 per cent of the total variability in the non-pregnant women.

This variability was reduced by summing the three postglucose values. Reducing the time interval between tests does not reduce the variability within a subject which is seen on retesting unless such repeat tests are carried out within quarter hour intervals.

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