Expert panel recommends diabetes screening to begin at age 35

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The US Preventive Services Task Force has recommended lowering the age to start screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes among overweight or have obesity to age 35.
• The previous recommendation for diabetes screening was for ages 40 to 70.
• The move aims to help people prevent developing diabetes and its associated health risks.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force announced that they are revising their guidelines for initial screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes among obese or overweight people.

The revised guideline suggests lowering the age to start screening to age 35. This has been changed from the previous recommended age range of people 40 to 70 years.

According to The National Institutes of Health, obesity is the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Both obesity and diabetes are important independent risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease.

“Clinicians can prevent serious health complications by screening adults with overweight or obesity for prediabetes and diabetes,” Task Force member Chien-Wen Tseng said in a news release.

Pre-diabetes is the condition when an individual’s blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough yet for a diabetes diagnosis. Pre-diabetes can still be reversed with proper diet and exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Experts also recommend that all adults, regardless of risk factors, get tested for pre-diabetes and diabetes starting at age 45. The CDC statistical data points to diabetes as the leading cause of kidney failure. According to the data, an estimate of 34.2 million Americans or 10.5% of the population has diabetes, and 88 million people aged 18 and older, or 34.5% of U.S. adults, have pre-diabetes. 

“Fortunately, there are interventions that are effective for preventing prediabetes from progressing to diabetes and in helping people with prediabetes improve their health,” said Task Force Vice-Chairperson Michael Barry.

“This is especially important because diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and can result in serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and limb amputation,” added Barry.

Research indicated diabetes increased among US children, teens and adolescents from 2001 to 2017,  finding a 45% increase in Type 1 diagnoses, and a 95% growth in Type 2 diagnoses.

Source: Fox News