Does your patient have glucose intolerance?

Paul Zimmet, Jonathan Shaw

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

• In the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (SusDiab), the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in adults was 10.6%. This translated to almost 1,300,000 people. • If the fasting plasma glucose is between 5.5 and 6.9 mmol/L, or the random blood glucose is between 5.5 and 11.0 mmol/L, an oral glucose tolerance test is recommended. • Detection of IGT, an asymptomatic condition, is unlikely to provide optimal benefit unless it is accompanied by a comprehensive health assessment that includes consideration of obesity, blood pressure an serum lipids. • People with IGT are at a very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and lifestyle intervention studies into preventing diabetes have targeted these people. • The principles of successful lifestyle interventions for diabetes prevention are weight loss, regular physical activity and a fibre-rich diet tin which less than 30% of total energy is fat and less than 10% of total energy is saturated fat. • The use pharmacological agents for type 2 diabetes prevention is being explored. • Longer-term follow-up studies are needed to establish whether lifestyle and pharmacological interventions actually prevent type 2 diabetes or merely delay its onset.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)28-32
Number of pages5
JournalMedicine Today
Volume5
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2004
Externally publishedYes

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