The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented research on a new study from an oral glucose tolerance test, showing that nearly 13 percent of all U.S. adults age 20 and older have diabetes, but 40 percent are undiagnosed.
The study compared two national surveys including a fasting blood glucose test and a 2-hour OGTT. The study also revealed that minority groups continue to bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes, but prevalence of both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases is equal in men and women. However, pre-diabetes is more common in men. Diabetes is “rare” in youth ages 12 to 19 years, but alarmingly 16 percent now have pre-diabetes. Based on 2005-2006 data from NHANES, it was compared with the last NHANES survey from 1988 to 1994.
"These findings of yet another increase in diabetes prevalence are a reminder that a full-scale public health response is in order. Re-directing the trends in diabetes will require changing the nutritional and physical activity habits of people at risk, and also creative and substantial efforts by health systems and communities," said Ed Gregg, Ph.D., epidemiology and statistics branch chief in CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.
We agree! It’s scary but not surprising that the numbers of diabetes keep rising. To find out more on the study, check out diabetes.org/diabetescare.
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