NPR

Common Blood Tests Can Help Predict Chronic Disease Risk

The creators of the risk assessment score say they want to help primary care physicians better identify patients who need extra counseling and follow-up.
By combining results of common blood tests, the researchers were able to come up with a way to predict risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

A score based on common blood tests may someday help people gauge their risk of developing a chronic disease like diabetes or dementia within the next three years.

The Intermountain Chronic Disease Risk Score was 77 to 78 percent accurate in predicting whether someone would be diagnosed with diabetes, kidney failure, coronary artery disease and dementia, among, which includes tests for blood glucose and liver function, and , which measures the quantity of different types of blood cells.

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