Widespread Screening for Type 2 Diabetes Might Not Lower 10-Year Mortality

Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can improve clinical outcomes, and mathematical models have suggested that widespread screening might lower diabetes-related mortality. To test this hypothesis, researchers cluster-randomized 33 general practices in eastern England to offer either a single round of formal screening to all middle-aged patients (age range, 40–69) considered to be at high risk for diabetes according to specified clinical characteristics (28 practices with approximately 16,000 high-risk patients) or to continue diagnosing diabetes in such patients through routine clinical assessment (5 practices with approximately 4000 high-risk patients).

Overall, 73% of invited patients participated in screening, and 3% of patients in both gr…