USPSTF update: Screening for abnormal blood glucose, diabetes
Screen all adults, ages 40 to 70 years, who are overweight or obese. Consider screening younger patients who have specific personal or family risk factors.
Medications such as metformin, thiazolidinediones, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors can also reduce blood glucose levels and slow progression to diabetes. However, the Task Force says there is insufficient evidence that pharmacologic interventions have the same multifactorial benefits—weight loss or reductions in glucose levels, blood pressure, and lipid levels—as behavioral interventions.1
As for the other modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease—obesity, lack of physical activity, high lipid levels, high blood pressure, and smoking—the Task Force has developed recommendations on screening for and treating each of them,5 which supplement the recommendations discussed in this article.
