Diabetes Care, Vol 2, Issue 2 85-90, Copyright © 1979 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Prevalence and course of diabetes modified by fasting blood glucose levels: implications for diagnostic criteria

JB O'Sullivan

Data from the epidemiologic survey in Sudbury, Massachusetts, demonstrate that the prevalence of new cases of diabetes, based on the USPHS criteria for the standard 3-h oral glucose tolerance test as originally published, was 0.7%. If a fasting blood sugar greater than or equal to 110 mg/dl had been required for those USPH diagnoses, the prevalence would have fallen to 0.28%. Further, if a peak serum insulin level of less than or greater than 60 microM/ml had been required, the original prevalence rate would have dropped to 0.02%. Data from a prospeh criteria for diabetes indicate by life table analyses that 41% show further deterioration of carbohydrate control over the first 13 yr of the study when the fasting blood sugar was less than 110 mg/dl in the initial diagnostic test and 82% when the fasting blood sugar was greater than or equal to 110 mg/dl. The relationship of fasting blood glucose to later decompensation proved to be a continuous one without evidence of a threshold effect. The implications of both of these studies for diagnostic criteria, particularly recent proposals, is discussed.
CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?