Purpose: Discrepancies exist between international bodies for the diagnosis of impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The aim of this study was to establish the IFG characteristics and evaluate the best diagnostic IFG criteria in a high risk dysglycaemic population.
Methods: An IFG population (n = 451) was identified from a national representative cross-sectional survey using a fasting blood glucose (FBG) ranging from 5.60 to 6.99 mmol/L. These participants were invited for a follow-up oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Both FBG results (health survey & OGTT) were evaluated in relation to different diagnostic IFG criteria (>5.6 mmol/L vs. >6.1 mmol/L) while comparing to the final OGTT glycemic diagnosis.
Results: Out of the total survey population (n = 1861), 24.34% was diagnosed with IFG. Approximately 50% of the IFG's (n = 227) attended for the OGTT. The majority of the IFG population were male with an overweight-obese status. If the FBG cut-off point of 6.1 mmol/L was followed, more than a quarter of the population attending the OGTT would have had a missed dysglycaemic status.
Conclusion: High-risk dysglycaemic and body mass populations may establish a more accurate dysglycaemia diagnosis and outcome when following an FBG cut-off point of >5.60 mmol/L for IFG.
Keywords: Glucose intolerance; Impaired fasting glucose; Malta; Oral glucose tolerance test; Type 2 diabetes.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.