TABLE 1.

Screening for type 2 diabetes

The Canadian Paediatric Society suggests screening for type 2 diabetes by obtaining a blood sugar level in all children encountered during any health care visit who have the following risk factors:

All of the following: Aboriginal descent* Body mass index ≥85 percentile expected for age Age ≥10 years old

And any one of the following: Sedentary lifestyle Children born to mothers who had gestational diabetes First- or second-degree relative† with type 2 diabetes Acanthosis nigricans Dyslipidemia Hypertension Polycystic ovarian syndrome

Suggested screening method Fasting blood glucose‡ (a value >7.0 mmol/L is diagnostic for type 2 diabetes) A random glucose is another option (a value >11.1 mmol/L is diagnostic for type 2 diabetes) An oral glucose tolerance test may also be considered with a fasting and a 2 h post-glucose load blood glucose test

^*The incidence of type 2 diabetes is also known to be higher among other ethnic groups (Hispanic, Asian, African American and Pacific Islander);

^†Includes immediate family members or an aunt, uncle or grandparent;

^‡There is currently no evidence to recommend hemoglobin A1_c as a screening method