Creating a pandemic of prediabetes: the proposed new diagnostic criteria for impaired fasting glycaemia

Abstract
In November 2003 the American Diabetes Association expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus suggested a revision of the diagnostic criteria for IFG, lowering the diagnostic threshold from 6.1 to 5.6 mmol/l. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the consequences of this change with respect to: (i) the prevalence of IFG in five different countries; (ii) the concordance between IFG and IGT (classification of individuals); and (iii) the cardiovascular risk profile of these groups. Finally we discuss the likelihood that intervention for cardiovascular risk and prevention strategies developed for individuals with IGT are applicable to subjects with IFG.