Details for definition, description, and classification of diabetes mellitus and other categories of glucose regulation can be found in the original guideline.
Diagnostic Criteria for Diabetes Mellitus
Three ways to diagnose diabetes are possible (see below), and each, in the absence of unequivocal hyperglycemia, must be confirmed, on a subsequent day, by any one of the three methods. The use of the hemoglobin A1c (A1C) for the diagnosis of diabetes is not recommended at this time.
The criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes are:
- Symptoms of diabetes plus casual plasma glucose concentration >200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L). Casual is defined as any time of day without regard to time since last meal. The classic symptoms of diabetes include polyuria, polydipsia, and unexplained weight loss.
OR
- Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) >126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L). Fasting is defined as no caloric intake for at least 8 h.
OR
- 2-h postload glucose >200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The test should be performed as described by the World Health Organization (WHO), using a glucose load containing the equivalent of 75 g anhydrous glucose dissolved in water.
In the absence of unequivocal hyperglycemia, these criteria should be confirmed by repeat testing on a different day. The third measure (OGTT) is not recommended for routine clinical use.
Diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)
The criteria for abnormal glucose tolerance in pregnancy are those of Carpenter and Coustan (1982). Recommendations from the American Diabetes Association’s Fourth International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus held in March 1997 support the use of the Carpenter/Coustan diagnostic criteria as well as the alternative use of a diagnostic 75-g 2-h OGTT. These criteria are summarized below.
Testing for gestational diabetes.
Previous recommendations included screening for GDM performed in all pregnancies. However, there are certain factors that place women at lower risk for the development of glucose intolerance during pregnancy, and it is likely not cost-effective to screen such patients. Pregnant women who fulfill all of these criteria need not be screened for GDM.
This low-risk group comprises women who
- are <25 years of age
- are a normal body weight
- have no family history (i.e., first-degree relative) of diabetes
- have no history of abnormal glucose metabolism
- have no history of poor obstetric outcome
- are not members of an ethnic/racial group with a high prevalence of diabetes (e.g., Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American, African American, Pacific Islander)
Risk assessment for GDM should be undertaken at the first prenatal visit. Women with clinical characteristics consistent with a high risk of GDM (marked obesity, personal history of GDM, glycosuria, or a strong family history of diabetes) should undergo glucose testing (see below) as soon as feasible. If they are found not to have GDM at that initial screening, they should be retested between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Women of average risk should have testing undertaken at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation.
A fasting plasma glucose level >126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or a casual plasma glucose >200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) meets the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes. In the absence of unequivocal hyperglycemia, the diagnosis must be confirmed on a subsequent day. Confirmation of the diagnosis precludes the need for any glucose challenge. In the absence of this degree of hyperglycemia, evaluation for GDM in women with average or high-risk characteristics should follow one of two approaches.
One-step approach.
Perform a diagnostic OGTT without prior plasma or serum glucose screening. The one-step approach may be cost-effective in high-risk patients or populations (e.g., some Native-American groups).
Two-step approach.
Perform an initial screening by measuring the plasma or serum glucose concentration 1 h after a 50-g oral glucose load (glucose challenge test [GCT]) and perform a diagnostic OGTT on that subset of women exceeding the glucose threshold value on the GCT. When the two-step approach is used, a glucose threshold value >140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) identifies approximately 80% of women with GDM, and the yield is further increased to 90% by using a cutoff of >130 mg/dL (7.2 mmol/L).
With either approach, the diagnosis of GDM is based on an OGTT. Diagnostic criteria for the 100-g OGTT are derived from the original work of O'Sullivan and Mahan (1964) modified by Carpenter and Coustan (1982) and are shown in the top of Table 3 in the original guideline document. Alternatively, the diagnosis can be made using a 75-g glucose load and the glucose threshold values listed for fasting, 1 h, and 2 h (Table 3 in the original guideline, bottom); however, this test is not as well validated as the 100-g OGTT.
