Assessment of postprandial glucose: relationship between a standardised continental breakfast and the oral glucose tolerance test

Background T o determine the relationship between postprandial glucose (PPG) and insulin values after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a standardised continental breakfast. Methods An open, single-centre, randomised, crossover study in 32 fasted patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 healthy volunteers. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations following a standardised breakfast challenge and a 75 g OGTT were measured over two hours. Results In both groups, the standardised breakfast induced similar plasma glucose and insulin profiles to the OGTT. Mean PPG excursions at each time-point were 1‐2 mmol/L greater following the OGTT than the breakfast. Two-hour OGTT glucose levels correlated highly (r ≥ 0.80) with those following the breakfast at all time-points between 0.5‐2 hours. Conclusion Plasma glucose levels measured 0.5‐2 hours following a standardised breakfast are useful for assessing postprandial hyperglycaemia for diagnostic or post-treatment evaluations. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2004;4:321‐4