[Life expectancy and risk assessment in decreased glucose tolerance (subclinical diabetes)]

The term Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) has replaced the term Subclinical Diabetes (SD). It corresponds to a grey zone between normal glucose tolerance (GT) and diabetic glucose intolerance which by definition can be determined only by an oral glucose tolerance test. Pathogenetically, and impaired glucose tolerance constitutes a risk factor for the formation of atherosclerosis and in about 30% of cases represents a pre-stage of diabetes mellitus. No mortality statistics are as yet available for insureds with impaired glucose tolerance. We may, however, assume with good reason that their relative mortality lies between the comparable values of insureds with normal glucose tolerance and those with type 2 diabetes. The relative mortality of type 2 diabetes is calculated on the basis of the American Medical Impairment Study 1983 and the Swiss Re study on diabetes mellitus and the relative mortality of insureds with impaired glucose tolerance is then determined on that basis. Finally, a possible course of action for the risk assessment of applicants with impaired glucose tolerance is proposed and the expected extra mortality rates are given.