Question

why is basal glucose production higher in the IFG/NGT and IFG/IGT groups than the NFG/NGT group?

Answer 1

IFG or impaired fasting glucose, NGT or normal glucose tolerance, IGT or impaired glucose tolerance and NFG or normal fasting glucose are different physiological states with relevance to glucose concentrations.

In persons with IFG, the fasting levels of glucose are basically high than normal fasting levels because the sugar level determination system of the body is not functioning properly and they do not sense if the the fasting glucose levels are low or high. This causes the endocrine system of sugar metabolism being impaired and the basal levels appear high. On the contrary, in persons with NGT or NFG, the sugar level determination systems are appropriate and optimum levels of blood sugar are maintained under endocrine control of the body. Also, in persons with IGT, these levels are impaired and slightly higher levels of glucose levels are observed after meal.

Thus, in persons with IFG/NGT or IFG/IGT, the basal glucose levels are higher than normal and the persons with NFG/NGT as the former cannot detect and modulate blood glucose levels due to impaired endocrine control while the latter can.