Screening for Diabetes and Prediabetes

Overt type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is preceded by prediabetes and latent diabetes (lasts 9–12 years). Key dysglycemia screening tests are fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A 1C . Screen-detected T2DM benefits from multifactorial management of cardiovascular risk beyond glycemia. Prediabetes is best addressed by lifestyle modification, with the goal of preventing T2DM. Although there is no trial evidence of prediabetes/T2DM screening effectiveness, simulations suggest that clinic-based opportunistic screening of high-risk individuals is cost-effective. The most rigorous extant recommendations are those of the American Diabetes Association and US Preventive Services Task Force, which advise opportunistic 3-yearly screening.