After 35, if you are overweight, get a fasting blood glucose test once, and repeat it every 3 years even if it's normal
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- For: Age 35+
- Costs a little
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
For a few dozen CNY and one tube of blood, you can find prediabetes while you still have no symptoms at all. The official U.S. screening advice is to test people aged 35 to 70 who are overweight or obese. If the result is normal, repeat it every 3 years. The U.S. counts a body mass index of 25 as overweight, relaxed to 23 for Asian Americans; the Chinese standard is 24.
- Cost
-
A fasting glucose test costs a dozen or so CNY. A glycated hemoglobin test costs a few dozen CNY. One blood draw at a hospital is all it takes.
- What you get
-
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is the body that issues official U.S. screening recommendations. Its current advice is to screen adults aged 35 to 70 who are overweight or obese for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, even if they have no symptoms at all. Overweight means a body mass index of 25 or above, and obese means 30 or above. For Asian Americans it recommends lowering the cutoff to a body mass index of 23, because at the same body mass index their risk of diabetes is higher. The Chinese industry standard is that a body mass index from 24.0 to 28.0 is overweight, and 28.0 or above is obese. This recommendation is grade B. It also states that “for adults with normal blood glucose, screening every 3 years is a reasonable approach”
- Notes
-
Finding prediabetes does not mean you need medicine. Eating less, moving more and losing a little weight can lower the risk of getting diabetes by 30% to 60%. In China's 2018 national survey, only 36.7% of adults with diabetes knew they had it, no clear improvement from 2013. For how large that reduction is, what to change once prediabetes is found, and how often to recheck, see §2.45 (when prediabetes is found).
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
-
- US Preventive Services Task Force (2021). Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes: "at a lower BMI (≥23) if the patient is Asian American"
- General Office of the National Health Commission of China (2024). Interpretation of Core Knowledge on Weight Management for Residents (2024 Edition) [in Chinese]: "According to the industry standard Criteria of Weight for Adults (WS/T 428-2013) ... 24.0≤BMI<28.0 is overweight, and BMI≥28.0 is obesity". https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202407/P020240703481519509521.pdf
- Wang L et al. (2021). Prevalence and Treatment of Diabetes in China, 2013-2018. JAMA: "In 2018, among adults with diabetes, 36.7% (95% CI, 34.7%-38.6%) reported being aware of their condition" "These rates did not change significantly from 2013." https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.22208
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- If you have erection problems, get your cardiovascular health checked first; don't treat it as only a “private matter”
- If prediabetes is found (blood sugar high but not yet diabetes), push diabetes back by eating less, losing weight and moving more, and recheck your blood sugar every 6 months
- Don't rely on a general checkup package to prevent disease; get the few screenings that have evidence for your age and sex
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 1, tip 8. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer