New USPSTF Guidelines Lower Diabetes Screening Age

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its recommendation to lower the screening age for type 2 diabetes.

This grade B recommendation comes as the result of a recent systematic review and is an update to the group’s 2015 recommendation.

Previously, screening was recommended to begin at age 40 years. The new recommendation calls for screening to begin at age 35 to 70 years in asymptomatic individuals with prediabetes, overweight (body mass index, ≥ 25), or obesity (body mass index, ≥ 30) who are not pregnant.

“Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and new cases of blindness among adults in the US. It is also associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and was estimated to be the seventh leading cause of death in the US in 2017,” the group concluded. “Screening asymptomatic adults for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes may allow earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes.”

—Leigh Precopio

Reference:

US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;326(8):736-743. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2783414