Change of glycaemic status in Chinese subjects with impaired fasting glycaemia

Aims To examine the risk of progression to diabetes in Chinese subjects wit h impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) or normal fasting glucose (NFG). Methods Between 1988 and 1996, 657 Hong Kong Chinese subjects underwent ann ual screening, using an oral glucose tolerance test, until they had develop ed diabetes, or until June 1997, when the data were analysed. All subjects had a risk factor associated with the development of diabetes such as a his tory of gestational diabetes or a family history of diabetes. The follow-up interval for the subjects ranged from 0.87 to 8.54 years and of the 657, 3 19 had fasting plasma glucose levels of < 7.0 mmol/L where a fasting glucos e level of greater than or equal to 7.0 mmol/L was used to diagnose diabete s Results Of the 319 nondiabetic subjects, 55 had IFG and 264 had NFG. After a median follow-up of 1.12 years (range: 0.87-8.54 years), 27 progressed to diabetes. The Kaplan-Meier analysis of progression to diabetes showed sign ificant differences between subjects with IFG and subjects with NFG. Using Cox regression analysis, IFG (beta = 3.51, SE = 1.63, P = 0.032) and smokin g (beta = 3.60, SE = 1.50, P = 0.017) were found to be independently associ ated with progression to diabetes. Conclusions In Hong Kong Chinese with risk factors for glucose intolerance, IFG status is an independent risk factor for progression to diabetes.