in the rate of diagnosis would increase treatment costs enormously in the short to medium term. Trials and fibrillations Furthermore, the experts interviewed in the TNS research confirmed the growing evidence of a causal link between impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and cardiovascular disease. They predicted that a number of current clinical trials would confirm that drug intervention at the IGT stage would delay or even prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. Government would be duty-bound to approve, whatever the cost. But although all the experts involved in the studies concurred that the pharmaceutical industry will continue to produce more effective treatments, they were equally adamant that healthcare systems, including the NHS, would be hard pressed to keep up with demand. Detect and survive According to many experts, the conclusion is obvious: there has to be a major improvement in the early detection of disease and, where possible, disease prevention. Type-II diabetes is a prime example. Many diabetic patients have had the disease for up to ten years before diagnosis. During this time, microvascular complications will have become established, including retinopathy, which can result in total loss of vision, and possibly fatal cardiovascular disease. But in many cases, pre-diabetics -- those with elevated blood glucose levels -- can return to normal blood glucose levels merely by losing between 5% and 10% of their body-weight. With 50% of pre-diabetics likely to develop type-II diabetes, early screening and intervention would save the NHS millions each year in the medium to long term. Risky