Diabetes mellitus Related articles
Types of diabetes
Prediabetes:    • Impaired fasting glycaemia    • Impaired glucose tolerance Diabetes mellitus type 1 Diabetes mellitus type 2 Gestational diabetes
Blood tests
Blood sugar Glycosylated hemoglobin Glucose tolerance test Fructosamine
Diabetes management
Diabetic diet Anti-diabetic drugs Insulin therapy Glossary of diabetes
Complications
Cardiovascular disease Diabetic comas:    • Diabetic hypoglycemia    • Diabetic ketoacidosis    • Nonketotic hyperosmolar Diabetic myonecrosis Diabetic nephropathy Diabetic neuropathy Diabetic retinopathy Diabetes and pregnancy

Impaired fasting glycaemia or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) refers to a condition in which the fasting blood glucose is elevated above what is considered normal levels but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes mellitus. It is considered a pre-diabetic state, associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular pathology, although of lesser risk than impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). IFG sometimes progresses to type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is a 50% risk over 10 years of progressing to overt diabetes. A recent study cited the average time for progression as less than three years.^[1] IFG is also a risk factor for mortality.^[2]

Fasting blood glucose levels are in a continuum within a given population, with higher fasting glucose levels corresponding to a higher risk for complications caused by the high glucose levels. Impaired fasting glucose is defined as a fasting glucose that is higher than the upper limit of normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes mellitus. Some patients with impaired fasting glucose can also be diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, but many have normal responses to a glucose tolerance test.

[edit] Criteria

WHO criteria for impaired fasting glucose differs from the ADA criteria, because the normal range of glucose is defined differently. Fasting glucose levels 100 mg/dL and higher have been shown to increase complication rates significantly. However, WHO opted to keep its upper limit of normal at under 110 mg/dL for fear of causing too many people to be diagnosed as having impaired fasting glucose, whereas the ADA lowered the upper limit of normal to a fasting glucose under 100 mg/dL.

• WHO criteria: fasting plasma glucose level from 6.1 mmol/l (110 mg/dL) to 6.9 mmol/l (125 mg/dL).^[3][4]

• ADA criteria: fasting plasma glucose level from 5.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) to 6.9 mmol/L (125 mg/dL).

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Diabetic diet
• Low GI diet
• Impaired glucose tolerance
• Glucose tolerance test

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