Vasodilatory and Metabolic Effects of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 in Periphery Circulation in Patients With and Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes and high blood pressure are risk factors for developing heart disease. An increase in the number of diabetes patients is expected. This increases the number of patients with heart disease, and since the vast majority with diabetes die from heart disease, it is extremely important to investigate how these diseases can be prevented and treated.

Studies in animals have shown that intestinal hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) can expand blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure, but it is not known whether the effects is found in humans, which we will investigate.

Studies have also shown that GLP-1 lowers blood sugar, but it is unclear whether this is solely due to increased insulin production, weight loss associated with GLP-1 intake or GLP-1 has an effect on the muscles which increases the uptake of sugar. We investigate whether GLP-1 enhances the absorption of sugar in the leg.

The investigators also examines whether these effects are greater in people with diabetes then in healthy.