cystic fibrosis (CF) - related diabetes

Last edited 08/2022 and last reviewed 03/2023

Diagnose cystic fibrosis-related diabetes using one of the following:

• continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
• serial glucose testing over several days
• oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) - if OGTT is abnormal perform CGM or serial glucose testing over several days to confirm the diagnosis.

Test for cystic-fibrosis-related diabetes

• in people with cystic fibrosis annually from 10 years of age
• at the end of the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, using CGM or OGTT
• in people with cystic fibrosis who are taking long-term systemic corticosteroids or receiving enteral tube feeding, using CGM or serial glucose monitoring.

Consider testing for cystic-fibrosis-related diabetes in people who still have any of the following despite optimised cystic fibrosis treatment:

• unexplained weight loss
• a deterioration in lung function as measured by spirometry
• increased frequency of pulmonary exacerbations
• excessive tiredness.

Reference:

• (1) NICE (October 2017) Cystic Fibrosis. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng78. (Accessed on 05 June 2022)