Anyone 45 years old or older should consider getting tested for diabetes. If you are 45 or older and overweight , it is strongly recommended that you get tested. If you are younger than 45, overweight, and have one or more of the risk factors, you should consider testing. Ask your doctor for a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test.
Even if your blood glucose level is normal and you have no risk factors, if you are over 45, you may need to remind your doctor to check your blood glucose again in 3 years. If your blood glucose is higher than normal but lower than the diabetes range (what we now call pre-diabetes), have your blood glucose checked in 1 to 2 years. As you get older, your chances of getting type 2 diabetes rise. You are also more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you have one or more of the risk factors.
- What is type 2 diabetes?
- How can type 2 diabetes be prevented?
- What are the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes?
- Types of diabetes
- What does it mean to have pre-diabetes?
- Besides age and overweight, what other factors increase my risk for type 2 diabetes?
- What can I do about my risk?
- Doing my part: Getting started
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