Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Adults

Overview

Experts do not recommend routine testing for type 1 diabetes. Experts differ on when is the best time to start testing for type 2 diabetes. Talk with your doctor about what is putting you at risk for diabetes and whether you should be tested.

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) recommends using a risk calculator such as the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISK) to determine your level of risk. Go to www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/en/canrisk to use the CANRISK tool. The CTFPHC recommends:^{footnote 1}

• Not testing if you have low to moderate risk.
• Testing every 3 to 5 years with an A1c test if you are at high risk.
• Yearly testing with an A1c test if you are at very high risk.

Diabetes Canada recommends testing every 3 years if you are age 40 or older. If you are at very high risk, Diabetes Canada recommends that you get tested more often and/or begin testing at a younger age. You are at risk for diabetes if:^{footnote 2}

• You have a parent or sibling who has type 2 diabetes.
• You are of Indigenous, African, Hispanic, Asian, or South Asian descent.
• You have prediabetes. This means your blood sugar is above normal but is not high enough to be diabetes.
• You have high blood pressure.
• You have high cholesterol or other fats in your blood.
• You had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or you have delivered a baby who weighed 4 kilograms or more.
• You have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
• You are overweight (especially around your middle).
• You have vascular disease, such as heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
• You have a skin problem called acanthosis nigricans.
• You have schizophrenia.