The experimental population consisted of 182 women and 107 men who had responded to newspaper advertisements describing our studies of glucose and insulin metabolism. Volunteers had a normal medical history, physical examination, and laboratory values. Stanford University's Human Subjects committee approved the study protocols, and Plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals: Impaired fasting glucose re-visited SL Bhat, F Abbasi, C Blasey, GM Reaven and SH Kim Abstract Background: In individuals with varying glucose tolerance, glucose and insulin comparisons are usually made based on response to oral glucose challenge. However, an oral glucose tolerance test may not reflect daylong glucose and insulin excursions in response to meals. To better understand individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), we compared insulin action as well as plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals in individuals with normal fasting glucose (NFG; n = 141) and IFG (n = 148) concentrations. Methods: Insulin action was quantified by determining steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations during the insulin suppression test. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured before and hourly after two mixed meals. Results: SSPG concentrations were significantly higher in the IFG group (11.8 ± 3.6 vs. 9.1 ± 3.8 mmol/l). Mean hourly daylong glucose (6.4 ± 0.07 vs. 5.5 ± 0.04 mmol/l) and insulin (390 ± 20 vs. 279 ± 15 pmol/l) concentrations were also higher in those with IFG (p < 0.001). Daylong incremental meal-stimulated glucose response, however, was comparable (p = 0.77) in the two groups, whereas the incremental insulin response was 44% higher in the IFG group. Conclusion: Although individuals are currently defined as having IFG based on fasting plasma glucose concentration, our data show that these individuals with IFG also are insulin resistant and have higher daylong insulin concentrations.