Abstract

BACKGROUND
The ADA has proposed a new diagnostic criteria for diabetes based on fasting plasma glucose, redefining diabetes as fasting plasma glucose 7.0 mmol/L. Since only a few studies for the appropriateness of tbis new ADA criteria were undertaken in the Korean population, we examined the appropriateness of the new ADA criteria by analyzing the results of oral glucose tolerance tests done in our hospital. METHODS: 507 oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted. Cases with diabetes and diseases that could affect the glucose tolerance were excluded. Plasma glucose was measured by the hexokinase method. Three groups of NGT, IGT, and DM by the WHO criteria of 2 hour-plasma glucose were redivided at each level of fasting plasma glucose. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each level of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and the FPG value of maximum accuracy to diagnose diabetes with reference to the WHO criteria of 2 hour-plasma glucose. RESULTS: Correlation between the levels of fasting plasma glucose and 2 hour-plasma glucose was relatively low (r=0.676). FPG of 7.0 mmol/L for diagnosing diabetes was relatively specific (specificity=0.934), but not sensitive (sensitivity= 0.552). FPG value of maximum accuracy for diagnosing diabetes was 6.8 mmol/L. 39 % of IFG (> 6.1mmol/L and < 7.0mmol/L) was reclassified as diabetes by the criteria of 2 hour plasma glucose 11.1 mmol/L and 34 % of NFG (<6.1mmol/L) was reclassified as impaired glucose tolerance by the criteria of 2 hour plasma glucose > 7.8 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: The fasting plasma glucose of 7.0 mmol/L was relatively specific for diagnosing diabetes. However, the new ADA criteria tended to underestimate the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in the Korean population. Therefore, oral glucose tolerance test may be needed to diagnose diabetes in high risk subjects. Large-scale cross-sectional and prospective studies will be needed to clarify these points.

• Keywords: Key Word;Oral glucose tolerance test;Diabetes;Diagnostic criteria;Korean populationFasting plasma glucose;