An estimated 16 million Americans have diabetes.
Diabetes now is the fourth-leading cause of death by disease in the United States.
Patients who have had test results that meet this lower threshold should have the test done a second time on a different day to verify the results. They need to learn about diabetes and what the diagnosis means. The earlier patients with diabetes can be diagnosed, the better the chances for preventing longterm complications through good diabetes management. For one thing, checking the blood sugar level may not be part of all routine blood screening tests that are done as part of an adult physical exam, Dr. Beaser explained. Diagnostic criteria becomes irrelevant if a test isn't even done.