Earlier diabetes tests recommended for overweight US adults
Updated diabetes guidance says overweight and obese Americans should start getting screened earlier, at age 35 instead of 40
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Overweight and obese Americans should start getting screened for diabetes earlier, at age 35 instead of 40, according to updated national guidelines published Tuesday.
The new advice stems from rising rates of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes and research showing health benefits of prevention methods and early treatment. Three out of four U.S. adults is overweight or obese, which increases their chances for developing diabetes.
Among adults aged 18 and older, 14% already have diagnosed diabetes, and 33% have prediabetes. Screening is recommended up to age 70.
The guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an advisory group to the U.S. government, was published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It updates the task force’s 2015 recommendations, and says even earlier screening should be considered for overweight or obese American Indians, Black people, Hispanics and other groups with disproportionately high diabetes rates.
The American Diabetes Association says overweight or obese adults of any age should be screened.
Screening means blood tests to measure sugar levels and sometimes involves drinking a sugary liquid first. The new guidance suggests that people whose tests are normal could be screened every three years.
Type 2 diabetes impairs the body’s ability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar, leading to high levels that can cause heart problems, organ damage and blindness. Prediabetes means higher than normal blood sugar levels that can lead to full-blown diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes incidence has increased in recent years along with obesity rates. A 2001-17 report in the same journal shows the rate nearly doubled in kids aged 10-19, jumping from 34 cases per 100,000 kids to 67 per 100,000.
The task force’s guidance says evidence shows diet and physical activity can prevent or delay diabetes in adults with prediabetes. The diabetes drug metformin has been shown to do the same but has not been approved for that use, the task force notes. The drug is not risk-free and some doctors oppose using it that way, noting that two-thirds of people with prediabetes never develop the disease.
A JAMA editorial says evidence shows that few U.S. adults with prediabetes are referred to diabetes prevention or weight loss programs that could help them avoid diabetes and its complications. It calls for a broader range of effective prevention programs that are covered by insurance and accessible to people who need them most.
___
Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner at @LindseyTanner
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.