Even within normal levels, high FPG increases risk of type 2 diabetes

Among healthy individuals, a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration within the range of 90–99 mg/dL increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new Japan study has found.

Drawing from the Panasonic cohort study 2, researchers conducted a long-term retrospective analysis of 37,148 employees (mean age 41.59±6.17 years, 30,262 men) who did not have diabetes at baseline. During the study observation period, 1,028 participants developed type 2 diabetes.

Multivariate adjusted Cox regression analysis found that age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride level were significant risk factors for type 2 diabetes, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol exerted a significant protective effect.

Notably participants with FPG level 90–99 vs ≤89 mg/dL were at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, with likelihood estimates progressively increasing with higher FPG concentrations.

For instance, those with 90–91 mg/dL FPG were around 50 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.22–1.91; p=0.0003), while such a risk was increased by more than threefold in those with 96–97 mg/dL (HR, 3.17, 95 percent CI, 2.61–3.84) and 98–99 mg/dL (HR, 3.41, 95 percent CI, 2.79–4.15; p<0.0001 for both) FPG.

“Our study indicates that HRs for the onset of type 2 diabetes, among the subjects having FPG concentration of 90–99 mg/dL, with or without obesity, is progressively higher with the increasing level of FPG concentration,” the researchers said.