Limitations of the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance

Conflicting results have been published during the past three decades regarding the cut points for the diagnosis of diabetes and glucose intolerance. Two major consensus changed the diagnostic values; the last revision occurred in 1997. After the publication of the new criteria, the controversy grew. New evidence was published demonstrating that the new cut points were inappropriate. The purpose of this review paper is to summarize the currently available information useful to evaluate the sensibility and specificity of the diagnostic criteria and to discuss the difficulties to define properly the cut-points for the diagnosis of diabetes and glucose intolerance.