What is Impaired fasting Glucose?

Impaired fasting glucose can be referred as the condition when the fasting blood glucose level is raised above normal levels but is not raised to such an extent to be termed as diabetes. It can be considered as a pre-diabetic state where the fasting glucose level is high and which could result in type 2 diabetes over the years.

A case of impaired fasting glucose does not necessarily indicate diabetes, but suggests that the body is not able to convert glucose into energy with as much efficiency as it should be doing. As mentioned earlier, people diagnosed with impaired fasting glucose may go on to develop diabetes if they do not control or manage the problem. Again impaired fasting glucose can be an early sign of diabetes and therefore steps must be taken to overcome these symptoms such as thirst, excessive urination, unexpected weight gain or weight loss, blurring of vision and reoccurring of infections.

Impaired fasting glucose is primarily caused by the body’s inability to regulate the glucose levels. Being overweight and not exercising can also increase the risk of impaired fasting glucose.

IFG can be diagnosed by testing the glucose levels in the blood. Two types of tests can be carried out for this purpose. For the first test the patient has to be fasting for nearly 8 to 10 hours prior to the test.The second test involves the tolerance of the glucose by the body and is called the oral glucose tolerance test.