Glucose Trajectory: More than Changing Glucose Tolerance with Age?

Abstract

While glucose tolerance is widely known to deteriorate with age, there are individuals whose borderline elevated glucose does not presage development of diabetes, but there are people who do develop overt diabetes. In addition, elevated glucose may also presage other morbidities, particularly for those who show progressive deterioration in glucose control over time. This concept of the glucose trajectory has taken on recent significance with sophisticated mathematical modeling that can identify several different arcs, primarily based on longitudinal changes in fasting plasma glucose. Other trajectories, calculated on changes in glycated hemoglobin, or integrated responses to oral glucose tolerance tests, are less well characterized. The author has reviewed the literature in an attempt to clarify these different themes of age-related deterioration in glucose control, highlight conflicting definitions of glucose trajectory, and potentially identify avenues of further investigation. Genetic contributions to the risk of development of type 2 diabetes, artificial intelligence and mathematical models of diabetes risk, and the discrepancy between fasting glucose and postprandial measures, including glycated hemoglobin, in risk prediction are also considered.