Anyone aged 35 to 70 with overweight or obesity should get screened for type 2 diabetes or prediabetes every three years, says the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Doctors should consider screening American Indians/Alaska Natives, Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders at even younger ages, because those groups have a higher risk, said the task force. Ditto for Asian-Americans in the upper half of the “normal” weight range, anyone who had gestational diabetes, or anyone with polycystic ovarian syndrome or a family history of diabetes.

What to do

Get screened...with a blood test for hemoglobin A1c, a fasting blood sugar test, or a glucose tolerance test.

The task force had no advice for people over 70, but the American Diabetes Association recommends screening for everyone age 45 or older and for adults of any age with overweight or obesity and at least one other risk factor (like family history).

Photo: rocketclips/stock.adobe.com.

Tags

Topics