5 ms·

One third of Americans are headed for diabetes

23 points by SQL2219 9y ago

melling 9y ago
“A simple blood test can detect prediabetes, a condition marked by higher-than-normal blood sugar” Why do you need a prescription in the US to get a blood test? I tried to get a follow up to a test that I got at a local health fair, but I couldn’t do it without a prescription, even if I would pay out of pocket. Wouldn’t it be useful for people to monitor some basic numbers on a regular basis without visiting a doctor?
- SQL2219 9y ago
  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=aic+test https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3...
  - melling 9y ago
    I wasn’t speaking about blood glucose levels specifically. I had another number that was marked as slightly high. That’s why I said blood tests.
    - SQL2219 9y ago
      A1C is blood glucose over time, average over 3 months, this is the test that shows if you're pre-diabetic.
      - melling 9y ago
        Once again, I am not talking about A1C, but a battery of blood tests.
- phonon 9y ago
  You can in Arizona. Theranos sponsored the legislation. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-law-and-fda-approval-gives-theranos-something-to-celebrate/29634373/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-l...
- wil421 9y ago
  I get a health check yearly at work that test for all sorts of things including fasting blood sugar. No prescription required and I'm in the US.
- DrScump 9y ago
  Why do you need a prescription in the US to get a blood test? You don't.
  - melling 9y ago
    And how do you do it? The snarky “you don’t” isn’t very helpful. Do you live in Arizona where someone mentioned they have new legislation? https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-law-and-fda-approval-gives-theranos-something-to-celebrate/29634373/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-l...
    - DrScump 9y ago
      Your snarky implication that a prescription was needed for any blood test in the USA was factually incorrect. I know of no state that has such a blanket requirement.
0xcde4c3db 9y ago
> The primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes is genetics, but excess weight, obesity and lack of exercise also contribute to this alarming medical trend. How does genetics compare to age as a risk factor? The article touches on age later (even saying that the risk rises exponentially after 65), but doesn't give hard numbers, and I've had a hard time finding any that seem both relevant and credible. The closest I could find was a summary of a CDC report [1] (edit: actually the source for this article; I didn't see the link before) that found 4% prevalence of diabetes in the 14-44 age group, 17% in 45-64, and 25% in 65+. If genetics is an even bigger risk factor than that, it seems like it's a huge factor. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-repor...
georgepeterson 9y ago
diabetes.... the new lung cancer

23 points by SQL2219 9y ago

“A simple blood test can detect prediabetes, a condition marked by higher-than-normal blood sugar” Why do you need a prescription in the US to get a blood test? I tried to get a follow up to a test that I got at a local health fair, but I couldn’t do it without a prescription, even if I would pay out of pocket. Wouldn’t it be useful for people to monitor some basic numbers on a regular basis without visiting a doctor?

SQL2219 9y ago
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=aic+test https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3...
- melling 9y ago
  I wasn’t speaking about blood glucose levels specifically. I had another number that was marked as slightly high. That’s why I said blood tests.
  - SQL2219 9y ago
    A1C is blood glucose over time, average over 3 months, this is the test that shows if you're pre-diabetic.
    - melling 9y ago
      Once again, I am not talking about A1C, but a battery of blood tests.
phonon 9y ago
You can in Arizona. Theranos sponsored the legislation. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-law-and-fda-approval-gives-theranos-something-to-celebrate/29634373/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-l...
wil421 9y ago
I get a health check yearly at work that test for all sorts of things including fasting blood sugar. No prescription required and I'm in the US.
DrScump 9y ago
Why do you need a prescription in the US to get a blood test? You don't.
- melling 9y ago
  And how do you do it? The snarky “you don’t” isn’t very helpful. Do you live in Arizona where someone mentioned they have new legislation? https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-law-and-fda-approval-gives-theranos-something-to-celebrate/29634373/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/02/new-arizona-l...
  - DrScump 9y ago
    Your snarky implication that a prescription was needed for any blood test in the USA was factually incorrect. I know of no state that has such a blanket requirement.

0xcde4c3db 9y ago

> The primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes is genetics, but excess weight, obesity and lack of exercise also contribute to this alarming medical trend. How does genetics compare to age as a risk factor? The article touches on age later (even saying that the risk rises exponentially after 65), but doesn't give hard numbers, and I've had a hard time finding any that seem both relevant and credible. The closest I could find was a summary of a CDC report [1] (edit: actually the source for this article; I didn't see the link before) that found 4% prevalence of diabetes in the 14-44 age group, 17% in 45-64, and 25% in 65+. If genetics is an even bigger risk factor than that, it seems like it's a huge factor. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-repor...

georgepeterson 9y ago

diabetes.... the new lung cancer