- In an published editorial, a public health expert says she believes that physicians should be more cautious when diagnosing someone with prediabetes because of the potential harm it can cause.
- However, in a second editorial another expert states that prediabetes can lead to serious health issues and should be diagnosed as early as necessary.
- Other experts say treatment for prediabetes should be unique to the patient with lifestyle factors being the first-line treatment and medications considered when lifestyle changes do not work.
Is prediabetes overdiagnosed?
Experts disagree over how and when to screen for this potential precursor to type 2 diabetes in two opposing opinion pieces published today in the journal Annals.
In one editorial, Rani Marx, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist who is the director of the Initiative for Slow Medicine, argues that prediabetes is diagnosed too quickly sometimes and that can cause more harm than good.
She notes it is stressful when a medical professional tells a person they have prediabetes. She says many people incorrectly assume their condition will automatically progress to type 2 diabetes.
Marx said the diagnosis can cause people to go through unnecessary medical visits and laboratory tests. This can lead to additional costs, such as deductibles and copayments.
In an opposing editorial, Dr. Jonathan Gabison, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan, suggests that prediabetes is a crucial health stage and medical professionals should address and treat it early.
Gabison says prediabetes can signal the initial stages of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, some common cancers, and neurocognitive disorders.
Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease, both authors agree.
However, Gabison and Marx don’t necessarily agree on who is at high risk and who is a good candidate for preventive intervention.
“Prediabetes is not an emergency but an opportunity to assess and…
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