Incorporating Postprandial and Fasting Plasma Glucose into Clinical Management Strategies

Bruce W. Bode, MD

Targeting plasma glucose is a widely accepted practice in the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Although clinicians have traditionally relied on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels for diagnosis and as a target for therapy, the focus has expanded to include the contribution of postprandial glucose (PPG) to glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels. This article examines the contributions of FPG and PPG to A1C levels in patients with diabetes and discusses the impact of these findings on insulin treatment strategies for patients who fail to achieve recommended A1C goals.