5 Blood Tests You Might Not Be Getting at Your Annual Physical
Many Americans may be missing crucial blood tests during their annual physicals, potentially overlooking early signs of chronic diseases like prediabetes. Experts recommend discussing additional tests with doctors, such as A1C, fasting glucose, and oral glucose tolerance tests, to identify prediabetes and take preventive measures.
Annual physicals may not include all necessary blood tests to detect chronic diseases early. Over 115 million Americans have prediabetes, but less than 20% are aware of it. Experts suggest requesting additional tests, including hemoglobin A1C, fasting glucose, and oral glucose tolerance tests, to identify prediabetes. A 1-hour glucose test can reveal prediabetes even when other tests are normal. Lifestyle changes, such as physical activity and dietary changes, can reduce diabetes risk by 58%. These interventions can be combined with GLP-1 drugs and may delay diabetes onset for up to 20 years.
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