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Data have previously been presented suggesting that a test based on the plasma cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia may be valuable in the diagnosis of patients with suspected hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction (1). Further, the increased secretion of growth hormone that normally follows the injection of insulin (2-4) has been shown to be mediated via the hypothalamus (5) and to be impaired in children and adults with hypopituitarism (2, 4, 6, 7). These studies, which have been limited to small groups of patients, have not involved the simultaneous determination of both the plasma cortisol and the growth. hormone response and have not been related to other tests of pituitary or adrenal function.The object of the present investigation was to compare the plasma cortisol and growth hormone responses to insulin in patients with disorders of hypothalamic or pituitary function with the results obtained in control subjects, and to study the relative value of this procedure in relation to other tests of pituitary and adrenal function. The free fatty acid (FFA) response to insulin was followed in several patients because of the important role assigned to the pituitary in regulating their rate of turnover and plasma level (8-10). Finally, patients with anorexia nervosa were studied because

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