The American Diabetes Association defines impaired fasting glucose as blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, between 101 and 125mg/dL when measured after an 8-hour fast. Normal fasting blood sugar is less than 100mg/dL. Impaired fasting glucose is often caused by inefficient insulin. It is considered to be a state of prediabetes. Treating impaired fasting glucose can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Treatments include lifestyle, and in some individuals, medication management.
Weight Loss
Adipose tissue is another word for body fat. According to the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism," an excess of adipose tissue can lead to impaired fasting glucose as a result of insulin resistance, a condition in which the body no longer uses insulin effectively. An increase in body fat around body tissues decreases insulin sensitivity; weight loss can improve insulin function. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, this was demonstrated in the Diabetes Prevention Program Program, a major national study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2002. The study was comprised of 3,234 overweight individuals diagnosed with prediabetes. The results concluded that a 5 to 7 percent weight loss can improve insulin function and return blood sugar levels to an acceptable range.
Physical Activity
Increasing physical activity is a treatment for impaired fasting glucose. Muscles require glucose for fuel. The more they move, the more fuel in the form of glucose they require. Physical activity has another benefit. The Diabetes Prevention Program determined that physical activity can improve insulin sensitivity. The increase in glucose consumption coupled with the increase in insulin sensitivity can return fasting glucose levels to the normal range. Another added benefit of physical activity is the increase in caloric expenditure which can lead to weight loss.
Medications
Medication management may be of benefit for some individuals, particularly younger obese individuals with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As reported in "Diabetes Care," the Diabetes Prevention Program concluded that Metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, was effective at treating impaired fasting glucose. Metformin works by improving insulin sensitivity in muscle cells, decreasing glucose absorption in the intestinal cells and decreasing the amount of glucose released by the liver.
Adequate Sleep
Recent research has determined that adequate sleep can decrease the risk of impaired fasting glucose. The Western New York Health Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the "Annals of Epidemiology" in 2010, found that individuals who slept for six or more hours were less likely to develop impaired fasting glucose.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Diabetes Prevention Program
- "Diabetes Care" Impaired Fasting Glucose and Impaired Glucose Tolerance
- Drugs.com: Metformin
- Pubmed.gov: Short Sleep Duration is Associated with Impaired Fasting Glucose: The Western New York Sleep Study
