The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has specific guidelines about who should get screened for diabetes, at what age screening should start, and what tests should be used.


diabetes screening

  •  Start screening at the age of forty-five. If the test is normal, repeat every three years.
  •  Screen adults younger than forty-five if they are overweight and have one or more of the following risk factors:
  •  Have a parent, sibling, or child with diabetes
  •  Are physically inactive
  •  Belong to an ethnic group in which there is higher risk for diabetes
  • (African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander)
  •  Had diabetes during pregnancy or delivered a baby weighing more than nine pounds
  •  Blood pressure readings
    are 140/90 or higher
  •  Have an abnormal lipid profile* with a low level of HDL cholesterol (less than 35 mg/dl) and/or a high level of triglycerides (more than 250 mg/dl)
  • Have a medical condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Have had previous blood glucose testing that indicated the presence of prediabetes
  • Have circulatory problems

There are two screening tests for diabetes, and either is acceptable:

  • A fasting glucose level after an overnight fast
  • An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), in which you drink 75 grams of glucose after an overnight fast and your glucose level is measured two hours later

The ADA recommends that doctors use the fasting glucose test because it is easier to do. If the fasting glucose level is abnormal, but not squarely in the diabetes range, your doctor may go on to do an OGTT.


*A lipid panel or profile is a blood test for levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and
LDL cholesterol.