Glucose fluctuations in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose regulation and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus

Summary Objective Glycemic variability is poorly studied in the nondiabetic individuals and newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study is to investigate the characteristics of glucose fluctuations in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and newly diagnosed, drug‐naïve type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM‐2). Design and patients This is a cross‐sectional study of three groups including 53 subjects with IGR, 56 DM‐2 patients and 53 NGT individuals. Monitoring by a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS® System Gold™) was performed for three consecutive days. Measurements Mean blood glucose (MBG), standard deviation of MBG (SDBG), largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE) and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) were calculated to estimate intraday blood glucose variability. Interday variability of glucose was evaluated by absolute means of daily differences (MODD). Postprandial glucose excursion (PPGE) was calculated to assess the influence of meals on glucose fluctuation. Results Twenty‐two percentage of NGT and 33·9% of IGR individuals experienced blood glucose ≥11·1 mmol/l; 49·1% of NGT, 50·9% of IGR and 30·8% of DM‐2 participants had hypoglycemic episodes (CGM values