Review of methods for detecting glycemic disorders

•A 1-hour plasma glucose (1-h PG) ≥ 155 mg/dl (8.6 mmol/L) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) can identify normal glucose tolerant (NGT) individuals at high-risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D).•A 1-hour, non-fasting, 50 g Glucose Challenge Test (GCT) performed during a routine health care visit has potential for practical screening of glucose disorders.•The shape of the glucose curve reflects the cumulative effect of insulin sensitivity and response on glucose concentrations with prospective studies warranted to evaluate its prognostic utility.•The continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has facilitated insight into the pathophysiology of prediabetes and phenotypes of T2D and holds promise for detecting glycemic disorders.•Metabolomic profiling including amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates and other metabolites may be useful for early diagnosis of glycemic disorders.•Non-classical markers for assessing glycemic disorders including fructosamine, glycated albumin, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol that evaluate shorter periods of glucose exposure than HbA1c have potential use as adjunctive tools.