Community screening for diabetes by blood glucose measurement; results of a five year experience

The Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland screened 307,000 individuals in the metropolitan area for diabetes with a 75 gm, oral load of carbohydrate. Of these subjects 12,600 (4.1%) had a two capillary blood glucose level of > 139 mg per cent and were defined as positive. Seventy per cent of the positives were retested, and 65% of these again had two hour levels > 139 mg%. Seventy one per cent of the original screening values were between 104 and 199 mg %. The rate of positivity on retesting increased with the original screening bracket reaching 90% at an original screening level of 240 mg % or higher. The frequency of positive retests also increased with age irrespective of whether the original screening level was less than or greater than 200 mg%. The implications of this large detection experience for conducting future mass surveys for diabetes are discussed.