New Hampshire is one of two states participating in an outreach program that urges seniors to get tested for diabetes.
Program advocates say that identifying seniors who have the illness - or are likely to develop it - will save lives and money.
But a researcher out of Dartmouth warns that diabetes is one disease where screening can do more harm than good.
NHPR’s Dianne Finch reports.
The Healthcare Leadership Council, a national non-profit, is spreading the word to seniors across the state that they should take advantage of free diabetes blood tests through Medicare.
Tom Maher is the regional director of that group.
He says that it’s all about prevention.
MAHER: “This is broader education effort geared towards seniors so that they understand the seriousness of the condition and so that they can in a sense prevent full blown diabetes. I think previously the system has basically been set up to just allow them to continue on down the path to getting diabetes or developing it and then treating them once they have it.”
The group has already visited 25 different senior centers and organizations.
And they’re not finished yet.
Beginning in January the group will take their message to many more communities.
Maher said that most seniors get screened for cancer – but they don’t typically get tested for diabetes.
MAHER: “Right now less than 10% of seniors take advantage of this blood test and you can contrast that with mammograms and prostate exams, which are in the 75% plus range of seniors who take advantage of those screening benefits.”
But not all physicians agree that screening for diabetes helps people --- mainly because there is no evidence that it does.
Lisa Schwartz is a physician at Dartmouth Medical School.
She analyzes the benefits and harms of various screening programs.
SCHWARTZ: “If we’re going to have public health campaigns where we’re going to scare people or make them believe they should go to their doctor we should be doing that on the basis of having good studies that show that we help them in terms of making them live longer or live better.”
Schwartz says that many people can have slightly abnormal blood sugar levels. That doesn’t mean that they have -- or will ever develop diabetes.
And one of her concerns about diabetes screening is the potential rush to medicate.
SCHWARTZ: “What happens is when you start to treat people who have only mildly high sugar those are the people who are more at risk for developing complications from treatment.”
She says diabetes is not like cancer….with cancer early detection does generally help.
But with diabetes - the symptoms themselves lead people to raise the issue with their doctors and get the condition identified in a timely manner.
Schwartz acknowledges that many good physicians advocate for diabetes screening – believing that it does help people.
And Tom Maher says that his group isn’t focusing on drug treatments – they’re encouraging seniors to exercise more, eat healthier foods and find out about their sugar levels.
But Schwartz does worry that bottom line interests could be driving this outreach effort.
Novo Nordisk - which makes insulin and other products for treating diabetes, is one of the primary sponsors.
For NHPR News, I’m Dianne Finch
