Impaired Fasting Glucose - Risk Factors

Risk Factors

IFG is a risk factor for mortality due to the serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a multi-factor disease and it can affect many areas of the body. The depositions of plaque in the arteries known as atherosclerosis are a potential risk that is elevated in diabetic individuals. This may lead to heart attack or stroke. Blindness is another concern associated with type 2 diabetes. It is cause by microvascular disease in which high blood glucose levels damage blood vessels in the retina by the formation of scar tissue or hemorrhage. Not only do these high levels cause vision loss, they may also cause sensory nerve damage (Neuropathy). This presents as tingling, numbness or pain and in the most severe cases requires amputation. When these elevated levels of blood glucose are chronic there is a potential that irreversible kidney damage can occur. It is important that individuals with IFG or diabetes mellitus monitor their condition and make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the onset of these life threatening symptoms. Pre-diabetic individuals who have abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides in the blood have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. These risk factors are known collectively as the metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that, similar to diabetes mellitus, individuals with IFG have higher degree of periodontal inflammation.