2.3.2 Secondary prevention (early detection and treatment)
Approximately half of all individuals with type 2 diabetes remain undiagnosed, even in the most developed countries (57). Type 2 diabetes is asymptomatic for several years, from the start of initial hyperglycaemia (58). Therefore, treatment of diabetes usually starts late in the natural history of the disease, which suggests that intervention at an earlier stage might reduce the complications in the long term.