[The survival rate of impaired glucose tolerance groups in the elderly]

We analyzed a total of 468 cases, all inmates of the Yokufukai Home for the Aged who had undergone a 50-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) from January 1980 to December 1981 and who were followed up to the end of March 1994. All cases were divided into different normal, borderline and diabetic categories according to glucose tolerance. 1) Normal cases accounted for 39.6% of males and 39.2% of females, 50% and 52.5% were borderline cases in males and female and these were 10.4% and 8.3% diabetic cases, respectively. 2) The overall survival rate of females was significantly higher than that of males groups (p < 0.05). 3) There was no significant difference in survival rate of males and females in the normal and impaired glucose tolerance groups (border and diabetic). CONCLUSION. Mildly impaired glucose tolerance could be considered as part of the normal aging process.