The new national strategy for vascular risk assessment, now being referred to as NHS Health Check, will include testing for diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). This follows a major evaluation of the evidence showing that it is more cost-effective to screen individuals for IGT than screening for diabetes alone, but only as part of the broader vascular risk assessment. This article examines the concepts of IGT and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and offers practical advice as to how these conditions can be managed in primary care.
