Opticians or dentists ‘should test for diabetes’

Such “unconventional settings” could capture those people who do not routinely visit their GP but who are at high risk of diabetes, such as the obese, those with a high waist circumference or those who are over 40.

Out of every 1,000 people given the test while seeing an optician who were at increased risk, almost 32 per cent were referred on to their GP because of high blood sugar results.

Some 850,000 people in the UK are thought to have type 2 diabetes without knowing it while another 2.5 million people have been diagnosed.

In the latest study, carried out in five high street opticians, people were asked a series of questions to assess their risk of diabetes. If one or more risk factors were identified, optical assistants conducted a test by pricking their finger for a drop of blood to assess sugar levels. Those with high blood glucose levels were advised to visit their GP for further investigation.

Of 1,002 people who took part, 318 were advised to see their doctor for more tests and another five were told to see their GP urgently.

Of those, 162 went to see their GP, and 138 of those had further investigations. Nine people were diagnosed with pre-diabetes and seven with diabetes in study published in the British Journal of General Practice.

Lead author and former optician Dr Jenny Howse, from Durham University’s school of medicine and health, said: “Charities’ campaigns have managed to reduce the proportion of people with undiagnosed diabetes but there is still a ‘hard-to-reach’ group who remain undiagnosed.

“Opticians could provide routine, non-emergency care and the simple screening can be done outside usual medical settings, such as GP surgeries.”

She added: “The screening test is less invasive and time-consuming than fasting blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance tests.

“Already pharmacists and chiropodists have shown it is feasible to offer screening in their practices, here in the UK as well as in Australia and Switzerland.

“In the US, 60 per cent of adults visit dentists at least once a year for standard check-ups and those practices could be suitable locations to screen for diabetes.

“In the UK, our initial results show screening for diabetes in opticians is a feasible option but we now need to look at the practicalities of delivering it, including liaison between opticians and GPs and the time costs for opticians.”

They argue that if people who do not know they have diabetes were diagnosed earlier, they would have a much better chance of avoiding complications such as blindness. The blood test took five seconds and the entire screening, including identifying risk factors, took five to 10 minutes.

Faye McDearmid, an optician in Redcar, said: “Blindness is devastating and irreversible, and diabetic retinopathy is currently the leading cause of blindness in people of working age in the UK.”

Simon O’Neill, director of care and advocacy at Diabetes UK, said the charity does not recommend finger prick tests, but a commitment to finding new ways of diagnosing diabetes early “is always positive”.

He added: “Finger prick tests on their own can be misleading. Blood glucose levels can vary in all individuals during any given day and these tests also do not factor in other risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes, such as having a large waist or a family history of the condition.

“People with one or more risk factors may be falsely reassured if they have a normal glucose reading. Also, a positive diagnosis can cause anxiety if someone does not have access to information and advice provided by a trained healthcare professional at hand.

“We recommend that anyone with one or more risk factors should visit their GP to discuss their risk of Type 2 diabetes and whether it is necessary for them to have a blood test.”