The Diabetes Rate in the U.S. Is Increasing at an Alarming Rate

In a press release issued by Diabetes Today, the news portal of The American Diabetes Association (ADA), it was announced that data collected by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention showed that the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. has increased at an alarming rate.

According to the report presented at the ADA's 67 Annual Scientific Sessions held in Chicago, Illinois, the prevalence of diabetes rose 5% on an annual basis starting in 1990. The trends of new cases each year was consistent with the current total number of recorded diabetics.

As quoted by Diabetes Today, Linda S Geis, MA, Chief of Diabetes Surveillance, Diabetes Program, Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC, said that "The growth in diabetes prevalence and incidence accelerated in the early 1990s and this acceleration remains unabated," She added that, "It is likely tied to the growth in obesity in this country, and if we are going to stem the growing burden of diabetes, we must improve our prevention efforts."

Data from the ADA indicates that there are 21 million (7% of) Americans that have diabetes, a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood stream due to the body's inability to generate (Type 1) or efficiently utilize insulin (Type 2). Diabetes patients tend to be at high risk for heart disease, kidney damage, loss of vision, and loss of sensory perception which can lead to infections and risk of amputations.

Currently, Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and is estimated to have caused 224,092 deaths in 2002, according to the ADA.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease and accounts for approximately 90 to 95% of all new diagnosed cases. It usually occurs in adults over 40 that tend to be overweight. As the incidence of obesity increases in both children and adults nationwide, the overall prevalence of diabetes has been expected to climb. Of concern, is the fact that Type 2 diabetes is now being diagnosed in children at a disquieting rate.

To assess the frequency of the disease, analysts utilized acquired data from the 1963-2005 National Health Interview Survey. After carefully assessing the figures, the researchers were able to identify 3 specific time frames with notable trends in the diabetes rates of the U.S. population.

Between the years of 1963 and 1975, the prevalence of diabetes increased from 13.6 to 25.8 per 1000 people, translating into a 5.1% increase per year. Interestingly, there was a period from 1975 to 1990 when the prevalence did not increase. However, between 1990 and 2005, there was a pronounced increase in the diabetic rate from 26.4 to 54.5 per 1000 people or a 4.6% rate rise per year.

Dr. Geiss believes that the flat trend between 1975 and 1990 may have been due to standardizing the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. In the press release, she state that "Prior to that time, there was no consensus on diagnosis, and the new standardization could have caused some stabilization in the rates." She did emphasize that this, however, was speculation on her behalf.

One thing Dr. Geiss was confident about, was that the rise in the diabetic rate after 1990 was due to obesity. From the same survey, researchers were able to correlate the increase in weight, in adults over the age of 20, and the rise in diabetes cases that began in the early nineties.

Of concern for Dr. Geiss was that, according to the data, the augmented diabetic rate that began in the nineties, does not appear to be slowing and continues to be highly linked to obesity. She added that "These trends highlight the need for continued and intensified efforts to prevent diabetes."

Sources:American Diabetes Association/Diabetes Today:
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetesnewsarticle.jsp?storyId=15351710&filename=20070623/ADA200706231182625856641EDIT.xml