Potential risks of glucagon stimulation test in elderly XXXX .

@entity1 @entity4545 @entity410 @entity390 @entity1640 @entity391 @entity299 @entity2124 @entity701 @entity1296 @entity551
The glucagon stimulation test (GST) is a reliable measure for assessing @entity2124 ( @entity2124 ) and @entity4545 (ACTH) secretion. The GST is considered to be a safe test, with few mild side effects, especially in adults and in the elderly in whom underlying co-morbidities may be present. OBJECTIVE: To describe the side effects of the GST in elderly @entity1 . DESIGN AND SETTING: The study was performed with @entity1 of the geriatric ambulatory of our hospital who were recruited to voluntarily participate in a research study concerning the @entity2124 and ACTH axis in the elderly @entity1 . Forty-two subjects (n=5 males and 37 females) aged 67-88 years, without @entity1640 , were submitted to the GST. The GST was performed by intramuscular injection of 1mg of glucagon. Blood samples were collected at baseline, and 90, 120, 150, and 180min after glucagon injection for @entity2124 and @entity701 measurements. RESULTS: During the test, 9 subjects (21.4%) had side effects, which included: @entity390 (14.2%), indisposition (11.9%), @entity551 (9.5%), @entity391 (7.1%), sweating (4.7%), and @entity1296 (2.3%). There were four cases of severe symptomatic @entity551 , with inaudible blood pressure in two cases. In one case of severe @entity551 , the subject suffered two episodes of generalized tonic @entity410 . @entity1 who had side effects at GST had statistically higher peak of @entity701 (28.9  6.67 g/dL) and a statistical trend to higher @entity2124 peak (8.74  5.96 g/L). In the group of @entity1 who did not have side effects, the mean @entity701 and @entity2124 peak were 19.05  5.36 g/dL and 5.32  3.52 g/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although the GST is a reliable alternative test to the ITT, it should be cautiously used in the elderly because this population may have co-morbidities including vascular and @entity299 that could be potentiated with side effects of the test, such as severe @entity551 .
