Relationship between fasting and day-long plasma glucose concentrations in diet-treated patients with type 2 diabetes

To define the relationship between fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia, plasma glucose concentrations were determined before and after breakfast and lunch in 42 diet-treated patients with type 2 diabetes. Breakfast was consumed at 8:00 AM and lunch at 12:00 PM, with blood drawn hourly from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM for measurement of plasma glucose concentration. The results demonstrated highly significant correlation coefficients (r) between fasting plasma glucose concentration and any individual hourly value (r values varying between 0.86 and 0.91). Furthermore, fasting plasma glucose concentrations and the total integrated glucose response areas, post-breakfast (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM), post-lunch (12:00 PM to 4:00 PM), and day-long (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM) were also highly correlated, with r values of 0.95, 0.91, and 0.94, respectively. These results demonstrate that fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations are almost perfectly correlated in diet-treated patients with type 2 diabetes, and that determination of fasting plasma glucose concentrations in these individuals provides an excellent estimate of degree of glycemic control.