The threshold for diagnosing impaired fasting glucose: a position statement by the European Diabetes Epidemiology Group.
The category of IFG was introduced in the late 1990s to denote a state of non-diabetic hyperglycaemia defined by a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration between 6.1 and 6.9 mmol/l. In 2003 the American Diabetes Association recommended that this diagnostic threshold be lowered to 5.6 mmol/l. The justification for lowering the threshold has been questioned. This simple change in cut-off value creates a pandemic of IFG, with a two- to five-fold increase in the prevalence of IFG across the world. Such a change in threshold has far-reaching public health implications. The European Diabetes Epidemiology Group (EDEG) has reviewed the evidence for this lower cut-off point for the definition of IFG and concludes that the previous definition should not be altered. EDEG further recommends that the value of all categorical definitions of non-diabetic hyperglycaemia should be reconsidered.
Forouhi
N G
NG
MRC Epidemiology Unit, Elsie Widdowson Laboratories, Cambridge, UK.
Balkau
B
B
Borch-Johnsen
K
K
Dekker
J
J
Glumer
C
C
Qiao
Q
Q
Spijkerman
A
A
Stolk
R
R
Tabac
A
A
Wareham
N J
NJ
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000517:prevention & control; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005215:Fasting; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence
D001786:Blood Glucose