Position statements
Random Screening for Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes UK calls for ‘early identification of people with Type 2 diabetes’ to reduce the impact of diabetes on individuals and on NHS resources (Position statement 2006).
A targeted screening programme of people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes could go a long way towards preventing complications. Although currently there is no clear evidence to prove this, the view of many people with diabetes is that early identification would have helped prevent some of the problems they have to deal with. The recent DPT demonstrates that people yet to develop diabetes but have Impaired Glucose Tolerance found by targeted screening, can be prevented from developing diabetes by lifestyle changes. Existing programmes of active case finding through opportunistic screening do not appear to be identifying people with Type 2 diabetes soon enough to prevent microvascular complications in particular.
Download the full position statement from the related information box
Updated July 2006