Natural History of Prediabetes Among Older Adults

Depending on the definition used, about one half of older U.S. adults (age, ≥65) have prediabetes. However, the natural history of prediabetes (i.e., progression to diabetes) in this population is unclear. In this community-based, prospective cohort study of 3400 older adults (mean age, 76) without baseline diabetes, researchers determined the natural history of prediabetes.

Forty-four percent of patients had prediabetes defined as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) levels of 5.7% to 6.4%, and 59% of patients had prediabetes defined as impaired fasting glucose (IFG; fasting glucose level, 100–125 mg/dL). During 6.5 years of follow-up, 9% of participants with elevated HbA_1c progressed to diabetes, 13% regressed to normoglycemia (HbA_1c <5.7%), an…