All individuals with a definite risk for diabetes should be tested. These include:

1. All persons with symptoms suggestive of diabetes.
2. All persons who have a close relative (blood relation) who is diabetic.
3. All pregnant women.
4. All adult patients suffering from tuberculosis or recurrent infections.
5. All obese patients.
6. All patients with high blood pressure. Lipid problems, heart disease or paralytic strokes.

Many diabetics may not fit into these groups, hence, all persons above the age of 40 years should have tests for detecting diabetes at least once a year.

This is an interesting list. I was tested as part of a new patient evaluation and I didn;t even feel bad , so I would not have known that I had it until later if they had not tested me. I wonder sometimes why I never got tested at my old doctor's office since my mother had diabetes.

now that's odd - in Canada, my yearly physical ALWAYS included a blood draw and sugar testing...

As a diabetic educator I am so surprised when I see so many poisitive glucose office testst go un noticed as well as full fasting loading tests.

we also have to test for those who have undergone surghery, accidednts or who have had allergic reactions ro medications. Sincee diabetes is also considered an auto immune disease.
Those with Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis should also be checked every three months.

julie

I live in Canada too. I've have never been tested except for when I was pregnant. Even with two grandmothers having it.

now that's odd... like I said, every annual physical I went to in Toronto I had blood drawn and they checked the sugar level.

strangeness.

It is not unusual to see that diabetic protocols differ frorm country to country. The us has about 19 million true diabetics. thats a lot of sugar.
World wided India has the highest per ration of diabetics 47 percent at last count were diabetic.
the UK has a medium amount of diabetics. Because of where the peopel live and the easy access to " garbage" foods, we can see a specific trend i how they deeal with it.
the US has a more agressive protocol becaus ethey see different incidednces and causations. India has different testing protocols, and so does canada. Simply because of the prevalence or non prevalence of obesity and indogenous food sources. Cool thinking.

I think honestly that everyone should undergo tests for diabeties. Thats just how it should be. you don't have to be over weight or too skinny to get tested because it's more hereditary than anything else.

ONLY TYPE ONE diabetes is an autoimmune disease (only 5-10% of the diabetic population).

Type 2 (the common lifestyle related preventable kind) is NOT an autoimmune disease. Sometimes people with Lupus and RA can develop drug induced insulin resistance (Type 2) from the medication they take for these diseases.

Type 1 in theory would be more common in these patients than the general population due to shared genetics, but I have never heard of regular screening for T1 as the symptoms are VERY obvious and adult onset of T1 is rarer (although it does happen more than people realize).

Finland has the highest rate of autoimmune Type 1 (the non preventable kind) diabetes in the world. Autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes are more commonly found in those from Northern European heritage.

Unknown environmental factors and a more homologous (less mating with "outsiders") genetic population are probably factors in Finland too.

However, Type 1 still seems to affect (white) people of Northern European decent more, regardless of where they live in the world, signifying a common genetic link, much how like Type 2 is very common in black people.

Finland regularly screens Type 1's for Celiac Disease, another autoimmune disease commonly found in Type 1's.