A new research has suggested that glycaemic threshold for examining diabetes mellitus should be reduced to 6.5 from 7.0 mmol/L, as the threat of microvascular problem such as retinopathy could be revealed better from this level.

The study was led by Professor Stepehn Colagiuri of the University of Sydney. The present threshold of glycaemic for diabetes has been based on the retinopathy rates in Pima Indian and Egyptians. In order to detect diabetes related retinopathy in wider populations, the cut-off points need to be revised, as suggested by Colagiuri.

The findings of the study appeared online in Diabetes Care on October 27. The researchers analyzed the databases of 45,000 people to identify the risk threshold of retinopathy associated with diabetes.

The research brought out that the risk of retinopathy caused due to diabetes rises when a fasting plasma glucose level increases above the cut-off point of 6.0 mmol/L.

Analyzing the new data, the researchers recommend lowering the current cut-off point for FPG for diagnosing diabetes to 6.5mmol/L. They are of the view an HbA1c of 6.5% detects the disease appropriately.

“Our study is the largest to examine this association and provides the statistical power for a more detailed and precise examination of glycaemic thresholds for diabetes-specific retinopathy”, said Colagiuri.