The US Preventative Services Task Force says screening for diabetes and prediabetes should now begin at age 35. The new guidelines were created to help adults who are at risk for developing diabetes to implement lifestyle changes earlier and prevent long-term health consequences of a disease that now affects 1 in 7 adult Americans.
The Task Force published their recommendations in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) August publication. (See the article here: Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.) According to their research, more than 1/3 of all US adults (i.e., 34.5%) meet the criteria for prediabetes.
“Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and new cases of blindness among adults in the US. It is also associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and was estimated to be the seventh leading cause of death in the US in 2017. Screening asymptomatic adults for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes may allow earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes.”
JAMA. 2021;326(8):736-743. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
Getting screened
It’s easy. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider here at Horizon Family Medical Group by calling 1-800-859-0085. You can also take a look at the prediabetes risk test from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Below is an example of the test, or you can take the prediabetes screening test online here: https://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/.
