Topic Overview
You can use the American Diabetes Association's
risk test for diabetes
(What is a document?) to see whether you are at risk for type 2
diabetes.
If you are age 45 or older, the American Diabetes Association
recommends that you get tested for diabetes every 3 years.1 The United States Preventive Services Task Force
recommends diabetes testing for people who
have blood pressure higher than 135/80.2 Talk with
your doctor about what is putting you at risk and how often you need to be
tested.
The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for
—which may lead to
—if you:1
- Are overweight and are age 45 or older. Get
checked for prediabetes during your next routine office visit.
- Are
at a healthy weight and are age 45 or older. During a routine office visit, ask
your doctor if testing is appropriate.
- Are younger than 45 and
overweight—your
(BMI) is 25 or greater—and you have
one or more other things that put you at risk for type 2 diabetes. These
include:
- , over 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), or you
take medicine to control high blood pressure.
- Low
(HDL) cholesterol and high
.
- A family history of type 2
diabetes. People who have a parent, brother, or sister with prediabetes or type
2 diabetes have a greater risk of getting the disease than adults who do not
have a family history of the disease.
- A history of
or having a baby weighing more
than 9 lb (4 kg). Women who
have had gestational diabetes or who have had a large baby are at
greater-than-average risk for getting type 2 diabetes later in life.
- Risk due to race or ethnicity. African Americans,
Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at
greater risk than whites for getting type 2 diabetes.
- A history of
.
- A
history of
.
- A history of higher-than-normal
blood sugar.
- Are overweight and get little or no exercise and
want to help reduce your risk for getting type 2 diabetes.
For more information, see the topic Type 2 Diabetes.
References
Citations
American Diabetes Association (2011). Standards of medical care in diabetes – 2011. Diabetes Care, 34(Suppl 1): S11–S61.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2008). Screening
for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine,
148(11): 846–854.