[Proposal for a Guideline of Risk Reduction and Sensitivity Optimization in Imaging Tests for People with Diabetes]

Diabetes is a very common chronic disease in the Portuguese population, with an estimated prevalence of 13.6% in the adults. Doubts often arise regarding the best preparation and the risks associated with doing imaging tests in these patients. In this article we intend to review the main precautions in imaging tests in people with diabetes and to suggest a guideline to reduce the risks and optimize the sensitivity of these tests in this population. The main topics addressed in this article are the need to suspend metformin after the administration of endovascular iodinated contrast due to the risk of lactic acidosis, the precautions in insulin-treated patients or those taking medicines with a higher risk of hypoglycemia when performing imaging tests that require fasting, and the influence of hyperglycemia and of anti-diabetic therapy on the sensitivity of PET-FDG. With this review and the presentation of a guideline, we intend to demystify and simplify the management of individuals with diabetes who are undergoing imaging tests.