INTRODUCTION I t has been known that insulin resistance and hyper-insulinemia are the
hallmark features of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and obesity.'r2 In
NIDDM, insulin resistance is an inherited trait. 3, 4 As long as the pancreatic l3 cells are able
to compensate for the defect in insulin action by hypersecretion of insulin, glucose tolerance
remains normal. Once the l3 cell begins to fail, however, overt glucose intolerance ensues.'It
should be emphasized, however, that most NIDDM patients remain hyperinsulinemic even …