Impact of American diabetes association criteria on the frequency of impaired fasting glucose

Abstract

In 2003 the American diabetes association (ADA) suggested to lower diagnostic criteria for impaired fasting 
glucose (IFG) from 110mg/dl (6.1mmol/l) to 100mg/dl (5.6mmol/l). However the World Health Organization 
(WHO) remains to maintain lowered threshold criteria as 110mg/dl due to a lack of evidence of any benefit 
in terms of reducing progression to diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present 
study was to evaluate the impact of ADA criteria with respect to the frequency of IFG. Institutional based 
cross sectional study from December 2012 to February 2013 was conducted to assess the impact of the 
ADA diagnostic criteria in prevalence of IFG. 422 subjects from five institutions at Bishoftu town were 
involved. Blood sample after fasting for >8 hours was collected and serum was assayed for glucose. 
Prevalence of IFG showed that the ADA diagnostic criteria increased the prevalence of IFG from 15. 4% to 
45.3% compared with the current WHO criteria. The proposed diagnostic criteria for IFG by ADA will lead to 
a dramatic increase in the prevalence of IFG. Therefore further studies are needed to evaluate the change of 
the frequency in nationwide and among various sample populations along with the benefits as compared to 
WHO criteria.