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Impaired glucose tolerance as a risk factor for diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the Hong Kong Chinese population: a 5-year prospective study Key Messages 1. The conversion rate to type 2 diabetes at 5 years was 20% among Chinese subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, which was 8-fold that of sex- and age-matched normal controls. 2. Body mass index, fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose predicted type 2 diabetes risk. 3. Cumulative prevalence of hypertension was consistently higher among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance than in those with normal glucose tolerance. Age, systolic blood pressure, and body mass index were predictive factors of incident hypertension in this study cohort. 4. Based on our cohort, the sensitivity and specificity of the Asian cut-off values for overweight and central obesity, recommended by the World Health Organization for identifying subjects at risk of diabetes and hypertension, appeared more appropriate for our population than values advocated for Caucasians. Hong Kong Med J 2008;14(Suppl 3):S20-