Impaired fasting glucose as a treatment target in diabetes management.

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) contributes to microvascular and macrovascular complications and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Although type 2 diabetes is largely considered to occur as a result of IFG, understanding of physiologic and associated management targets is uniformly lacking among health care professionals. Once definitions are standardized, diagnostic criteria and screening tools may help to identify individuals at risk sooner, thereby minimizing the rapid deterioration that often results. To counter the rising pandemic of obesity and diabetes, it is important to understand the vascular risk of IFG and impaired glucose tolerance in patients at risk.