Pancreatic beta cell function

Pancreatic beta cell function (synonyms Gβ or, if calculated from fasting concentrations of insulin and glucose, HOMA-Beta or SPINA-GBeta) is one of the preconditions of euglycaemia, i.e. normal blood sugar regulation.

Progressive loss of insulin secretory capacity is a key defect associated with the transition from a healthy glycaemic state to hyperglycaemia, characteristic of untreated diabetes mellitus.

[2][4][1] It remains an unsolved question if impaired pancreatic beta cell function or hypersecretion of insulin represent the primary event in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

[6] Therefore, they may be part of a complex feedback loop involving glucose toxicity leading to a biphasic response, thereby preventing neoplastic effects of dynamical compensation by mutant takeover.

Examples are: Although single-point measurements have the benefit of being convenient and inexpensive, they are generally not regareded as sufficiently informative for early diagnosis of impaired glucose homeostasis or early-stage type 1 diabetes.