A new estimate has suggested that around 250,000 middle-aged adults are unaware that they have type two diabetes. Researchers have said that all adults aged 40-70 should be screened for the condition, as early detection can help cut a person's risk of complications due to the disease.
The academics said that currently only high-risk adults are offered a blood test to check for type two diabetes during the NHS health check, adding that if every adult were offered the test, undiagnosed cases of the condition could be identified two years earlier.
The research team wrote in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes: “Screening can detect cases of undiagnosed diabetes earlier than symptomatic or incidental diagnosis, allowing for earlier intervention, which may reduce the risk of diabetes complications."
