New classification and criteria for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The Australasian Working Party on Diagnostic Criteria for Diabetes Mellitus.

Diagnosis of diabetes is not in doubt when there are classical symptoms of thirst and polyuria and a random venous plasma glucose level > or =11.1 mmol/L. The Australasian Working Party on Diagnostic Criteria for Diabetes Mellitus recommends: Immediate adoption of the new criterion for diagnosis of diabetes as proposed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) - fasting venous plasma glucose level > or =7.0 mmol/L; Immediate adoption of the new classification for diabetes mellitus proposed by the ADA and WHO, which comprises four aetiological types - type 1, type 2, other specific types and gestational diabetes - with impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glycaemia as stages in the natural history of disordered carbohydrate metabolism; Awareness that some cases of diabetes will be missed unless an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is performed. If there is any suspicion or other risk factor suggesting glucose intolerance, the OGTT should continue to be used pending the final WHO recommendation.