Copenhagen Study in 15 Healthy Adults Finds a Glucagon Infusion Slows How Fast the Body Clears Insulin
Researchers at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital gave 15 healthy adults a four-hour intravenous glucagon infusion on one day and a glucose infusion meant to match the resulting blood sugar on another, reporting in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Insulin secretion, the primary endpoint, did not differ significantly between days (P = 0.12), but a post hoc analysis found insulin clearance was lower during glucagon at both high and normal blood sugar (P = 0.0003). The glucose matching was incomplete, and the result bears on drugs such as retatrutide that add glucagon-receptor activity.