Assessment of the new diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus according to a long-term follow-up study.

The validity of the new diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus proposed by the WHO Expert Committee was assessed by 10-year relative survival rates and by the changes in glucose tolerance in subjects with IGT during a 7-year period. In the survival study, diabetic subjects, especially those with a fasting glucose level greater than or equal to 140 mg/100 ml and 2-hour glucose level greater than or equal to 200 mg/100 ml revealed a significant decrease in the survival rate, while the prognosis of the subjects with IGT did not differ from that of the general population. On the other hand, in the 7-year follow-up study, the rate of worsening to diabetes after 7 years was related closely to the 2-hour glucose level at the initial test. A multiple logistic analysis also indicated that the fasting and 2-hour glucose levels at the initial test were significantly predictive of worsening to diabetes among the subjects with IGT.