Table 1: Glucose metabolism in anterior pituitary dysfunction.

Disease/condition	Effect on glucose metabolism
Anterior pituitary hypersecretory conditions
GH hypersecretion	Insulin resistance Diabetes mellitus
ACTH hypersecretion	Impaired glucose tolerance Diabetes mellitus
Prolactin hypersecretion	Prolactinoma – higher FPG in small studies Physiological hyperprolactinaemia – insulin resistance?
TSH hypersecretion	Insulin resistance, worsening of diabetes
Anterior pituitary hyposecretory conditions
Panhypopituitarism	Hypoglycaemia
GH deficiency	Children – insulin sensitivity, fasting hypoglycaemia Adults – insulin resistance
Functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism	Insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, higher visceral adipose tissue, adverse cardiovascular outcome

ACTH = adrenocorticotrophic hormone; FPG = fasting plasma glucose;

GH = growth hormone; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone.