After 35, if you are overweight, get a fasting blood glucose test once, and repeat it every 3 years even if it's normal

Moderate value
Evidence A
Buys life
For: Age 35+
Costs a little
Takes minutes
No willpower

In plain words

For a few dozen CNY and one tube of blood, you can find prediabetes while you still have no symptoms at all. The official U.S. screening advice is to test people aged 35 to 70 who are overweight or obese. If the result is normal, repeat it every 3 years. The U.S. counts a body mass index of 25 as overweight, relaxed to 23 for Asian Americans; the Chinese standard is 24.

Cost: A fasting glucose test costs a dozen or so CNY. A glycated hemoglobin test costs a few dozen CNY. One blood draw at a hospital is all it takes.
What you get: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is the body that issues official U.S. screening recommendations. Its current advice is to screen adults aged 35 to 70 who are overweight or obese for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, even if they have no symptoms at all. Overweight means a body mass index of 25 or above, and obese means 30 or above. For Asian Americans it recommends lowering the cutoff to a body mass index of 23, because at the same body mass index their risk of diabetes is higher. The Chinese industry standard is that a body mass index from 24.0 to 28.0 is overweight, and 28.0 or above is obese. This recommendation is grade B. It also states that “for adults with normal blood glucose, screening every 3 years is a reasonable approach.”
Notes: Finding prediabetes does not mean you need medicine. A good share of people can turn it back through lifestyle changes alone. Among Chinese adults, those who know they have diabetes have always been a minority, and many find out only after complications appear.
Evidence grade: A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
Sources: US Preventive Services Task Force (2021). Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes：「at a lower BMI (≥23) if the patient is Asian American」
国家卫生健康委办公厅 (2024). 居民体重管理核心知识（2024 年版）释义：「根据《成年人体重判定》（WS/T 428-2013）行业标准……24.0≤BMI＜28.0 为超重，BMI≥28.0 为肥胖」. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202407/P020240703481519509521.pdf

Mentioned in

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 1, tip 8. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer