How Effective is a Simple Pre-Diabetes Screen for Clinical Practice?

Abstract

Diabetes is a global problem. According to WHO (2014) the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 9% among adults aged 18+ years. In 2012, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Of note, more than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. It is predicted that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030. Of concern is the vast majority of people living with pre diabetes are unaware they have it. Without lifestyle changes to improve their health, an estimated 15% to 30% of people with pre diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Simple screening methods may identify risk and facilitate conversations with patients to identify specific barriers to making healthy lifestyle choices to decrease risk for diabetes.