IDF recommends 1-hour post plasma glucose test

CHENNAI: The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has stated that one-hour post-load plasma glucose test as a more sensitive and practical method to screen for intermediate hyperglycaemia or Pre-Diabetes and type 2 diabetes in people.

The diagnosis of pre-diabetes is currently based on detecting the concentration of sugar or glucose in the blood of fasting and after 120 minutes of eating as the oral glucose tolerance test.

A panel of 22 people from 15 countries, including India, prepared the

IDF’s statement at the 17th International Conference on Advanced Technologies – Treatments for Diabetes, and was published it in the Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice website. Dr V Mohan, chairman, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, represented India on this panel.

The IDF statement recommended the use of 1-hour plasma glucose with the validated cut points (reference scale) of 155 mg/dL for pre-diabetes and 209 mg/dL for Type 2 diabetes. Intermediate hyperglycaemia, earlier referred to as ‘pre-diabetes’, is a state between normal glucose regulation and Type 2 diabetes.

Many with pre-diabetes, as defined by current diagnostic criteria, will progress to Type 2 diabetes.

“The original oral glucose tolerance test was a 5-sample test that was at 30, 60, 90 and 120-minute intervals of fasting. Later, this was modified to just fasting and 2-hour samples,” recalled Dr Mohan. “But, we’ve always advocated the continuation of the 1-hour test, as a raised 1-hour value in those with normal fasting and 2-hour glucose values is predictive of diabetes.”

Given the rising prevalence of diabetes worldwide, a more practical method was therefore needed for detection, early diagnosis and intervention of the disease.