An opportunistic pre-diabetes screening program offered with existing hypertension screening

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of metabolic diseases that share the hallmark characteristic of hyperglycemia. Generally, Diabetes is categorized as type I, or type II. Type I results from the body's failure to synthesize insulin, and requires insulin injections. Type II, also known as adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), occurs when the body's cells fail to use insulin properly due to a defective insulin receptor, and may also be combined with a relatively reduced insulin secretion. Type II can be managed with healthy lifestyle habits and early detection of high sugar levels. Most local health departments across New York State offer hypertension screening but no pre-diabetes screening programs. The US preventive Services Task Force recommends that asymptomatic adults with sustained blood pressure greater than 135/80 mm Hg should be screened for type II diabetes. Since high blood sugar levels can be controlled, and in some cases reduced, there exist strong benefits in offering pre-diabetic screening for individuals who are hypertensive.