Interpretation of an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test encountered during multiphasic laboratory screening
Troxler, R.G.; Trabal, J.F.; Lancaster, M.C.
Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine 46(5): 729-735
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0095-6562 PMID: 1131139 Document Number: 86075
Studies were on 162 healthy male flying personnel who had repeat tolerance tests with glucose by mouth at intervals of 6 months to 2 years. On the premise that an abnormal glucose tolerance test was not reproducible because standard criteria were not strict enough, evaluations were made of 11 criteria for diagnosing abnormal tolerance; the number of abnormal tests varied with the criteria, but with all variations in criteria the best reproducibility of any abnormal test on repeat testing was 50%. In the patients examined a fasting plasma glucose value of 130 mg/100 ml was as accurate an indicator of persistent carbohydrate intolerance as a 2-h glucose tolerance test. It is concluded that a single standard glucose tolerance test is useful only for screening and that a final diagnosis of chemical diabetes mellitus should be made only if the carbohydrate intolerance consistently deteriorates or if insulin curves indicate impaired function of the islets of Langerhans.