Diabetes Screening?

[slipperyelm]

Do "they" even screen for diabetes? Do doctors routinely add any kind of blood glucose testing to general physical exams? Or is it only when a patient comes in with conditions and complaints consistent with diabetes that they get tested?

Seems to me a lot of people get tested annually for cholesterol levels, but how about BG? Or older women get mammograms every few years but what about BG levels? There are a number of routine screenings, but I'm not aware of diabetes being one of them. Seems to me if the US population is estimated to actually have as many undiagnosed as diagnosed Type 2s, there would be more screening for it.

As for me, I was diagnosed when I went to the doctor and _asked_ to be tested because I recognized the symptoms.

[kgm0612]

I was tested during both my pregnancies over 22 years ago. Although my medical history states that I have a family history of diabetes, my PCP never once suggested or ordered any testing. It was after I called her with symptoms of diabetes that she ordered some tests which confirmed I was indeed diabetic.

Karen

[notme]

I was tested for diabetes early during all five of my pregnancies. My children were all nine and ten pound babies so I think I should have been tested later in pregnancy. I was diagnosed type one two years after my last baby was born. I do believe that I should have been tested "routinely" after the birth of my large babies. Never happened.

[JasonSmithMT]

Recommendations for routine diabetes screening varies but most call for routine fasting blood glucose levels once every 3 years after the age of 45. People who are at high-risk the recommendation is yearly screening. The last AACE recommendation I remember seeing says screening should begin at the age of 30 for high-risk groups.

Of course any time diabetes is suspected in a previous undiagnosed person a glucose level should be performed as part of the work up.

Jason

[Funnygrl]

I think at most physicals they do a urine analysis that would pick up if glucose was being excreeted.

[ladytaz]

I was tested for diabetes early during all five of my pregnancies. My children were all nine and ten pound babies so I think I should have been tested later in pregnancy. I was diagnosed type one two years after my last baby was born. I do believe that I should have been tested "routinely" after the birth of my large babies. Never happened.

I agree!!

I was tested with the 2 hour GTT (yukky thick syrup drink *shivers*) sometime during my second pregnacy. Probably around the 6th or so month. I don't know what made him want me to test, but the test results were fine he said. This was 23 years ago, when I was 19.

Then with my third (and last) pregnancy, I was tested in my 5th month. They actually checked with one of those urine stick deals at each visit. I had one show high, I guess, they then sent me to the lab for a Fasting Glucose Test and then tested 2 hours later after I ate a specified meal. They said I had Gestational D, so on a "special" diet I went. This was 20 years ago, when I was 22. They didn't give insulin, or meds back then, that I know of.

I was told that after the baby was born, I was to be tested at least once a year to keep a check on it, since having Gestational D, AND the horrible history of Diabetes in my family, made it much more probable that I'd end up with it at some point. I kept that up for a while ... and was always at what they THEN called "borderline" Always right around 140. NOWADAYS, they seem to consider that Diabetic (Type 2). Last time I had it checked, before I was diagnosed last year, was Aug 1993.

[Lex4153]

I thought it was the urine analysis too! That's how they found out about my diabetes anyway.

[rzrbks]

Pooh, it was my eye Dr. who caught me. Well she and my wife working in cahoots with each other.................thank goodness.

I do believe that screening may have been done but they never caught anything. But then they wouldn't being a T 1.5 and all.