The high prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and the large proportion of individuals with complications at diagnosis (50% according to UKPDS 33) argue for screening for type 2 diabetes. The NHANES study confirms the substantially higher risk of death, lower survival, and lower life expectancy of diabetic adults compared with non-diabetic adults. A UK Prospective Diabetes Study shows that intensive blood-glucose control can reduce risk of any diabetes-related death and any diabetes-related endpoints. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess cost-effectiveness of active screening for DM and intensive blood-glucose control in comparison with conventional treatment in patients with DM II in the Polish population. METHODS: The Markov model of DM progression to stimulate lifetime and related health care cost was constructed. Demographic characteristics of a stimulated cohort as well as cost of health care were based on a CODIP study population. Costs were analysed from a societal viewpoint and included only direct medical costs. Costs of active searching for DM and the distribution of people on diagnostic pathways came from an epidemiological Screen-Pol 2 study. The age-dependant risk of death and transition probabilities between disease stages were obtained from the NHANES study. The effectiveness of active blood-glucose control was derived from the UKPDS 33. RESULTS: In the long term (20 years), a strategy based on active blood-glucose control could bring an additional 0.4 life years saved (LYS) per patient. An additional LYS costs €457. If active blood-glucose control is preceded by the active screening for DM, this strategy could bring 0.71 LYS per patient. The cost-effectiveness ratio amounts to 10,863 €/LYS. CONCLUSIONS: The most effective strategy in DM management is based on an early detection program and active blood-glucose control. The cost-effectiveness ratio for active glucose control is extremely low.