140 to 200 mg/dl have fasting plasm

140 to 200 mg/dl have fasting plasma glucose
110 mg/dl (25). Rates of undiagnosed
diabetes and impaired fasting glucose using
American Diabetes Association criteria,
which are defined by the fasting plasma glucose
value, are higher in men than in
women. This phenomenon is due to the
higher fasting plasma glucose values for men
in the U.S. population as a whole: the mean
fasting plasma glucose for those without previously
diagnosed diabetes is 100 mg/dl for
men vs. 95 mg/dl for women in NHANES
III. In contrast, mean 2-h glucose values are
120 mg/dl and 123 mg/dl, respectively.
Many factors influence the prevalence of
diabetes, including those that affect the
development of new cases of diabetes and
those that affect mortality from diabetes.
Examination of these factors is beyond the
scope of this manuscript, but data from the
HANESs indicate that increases in the prevalence
of diabetes have occurred over time.
Evaluation of this trend should be tempered
by the facts that 1) there are only two time
points for each racial or ethnic group and 2)
there were diff e rent survey personnel,
response rates, and laboratories for glucose
analysis in these surveys. The annual
National Health Interview Survey, which
involves a household interview to ascertain
physician-diagnosed diabetes, also shows
increases in diabetes prevalence over time. This survey shows a relatively stable
incidence rate for diabetes during
1970–1992 (about 2.7 new diagnoses per
1,000 population per year), and declines in
mortality of people with diabetes may
account for the growing prevalence rates.
The HANESs have shown a substantial
increase in the prevalence in the U.S. of obesity which is a major risk factor for diabetes.
This increase, together with the high
frequency of sedentary lifestyles in the U.S. and the high rates of impaired fasting
glucose and impaired glucose tolerance
found in NHANES III, portends that diabetes
will continue to have a major impact
on the health of the U.S. population.