Over 73 million Americans are either suffering from diabetes or have the precursor to the life-altering disease, a study by researchers from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.
The findings underscore the fact that the disease is spreading with alarming speed across the United States. “Despite the fact that we now know how to prevent type 2 diabetes in many cases – through lifestyle changes that include weight loss and increased physical activity – we continue to see this disease climb,” Dr Catherine Cowie, the lead author of the study.
Under the study involving 4,761 subjects, researchers studied data obtained through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994 and then again between 1999 and 2002. They found that around 9.3 per cent of those above the age of 20 years, constituting around 19.3 million Americans, were diagnosed with diabetes between 1999 and 2002. “If you add that together with the 9.3 per cent of people with diabetes, that means that fully one-third of the adult population – 73 million Americans – have diabetes or they may be on their way to getting it,” Cowie said. Between 1988 and 1994, the occurrence of diabetes increased from 5.1 per cent to 6.5 per cent of the population.
More alarming was the finding that 26 per cent of Americans had impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a precursor to the disease where the levels of glucose in the blood are elevated, but not enough to be classified as diabetes. Left untreated, the condition can cause diabetes within a decade. Many of those who have the precursor are unaware of it.
“We found that about one-third of the 9.3 per cent don't know they have it. We need to do a better job of diagnosing the one-in-three people with diabetes who don't know they have it and the 26 per cent of the adult population who have IFG,” Cowie said. Among senior citizens, the disease has already manifested itself in 22 per cent of those belonging to the over-65 age group. “Combine that with 40 per cent of those with IFG, it's affecting 62 per cent of the adult population in that age group,” the lead author remarked. The occurrence of the disease increased faster among African Americans than among other ethnic groups, with men being found more vulnerable to the disease than women. Cowie added that awareness and lifestyle changes were the key to preventing the disease from spreading. “We really need to do a better job of convincing people that should be adopting healthy behaviors that will prevent these conditions,” Cowie said.
Agreeing with her was Robert Rizza of American Diabetes Association (ADA). “Obviously, we aren't doing enough to convince people they need to make changes in their lives. Diabetes is a chronic and often debilitating disease that can cut short your life. The fact that we know how to prevent type 2 diabetes and we're still seeing this kind of increase is devastating,” he said.
But Yale University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center director Dr David L Katz said that the study might have failed to catch the accurate number of undiagnosed diabetes. “Since type 2 diabetes is often preventable, almost any is too much. Seeing a steady rise in the rates of this serious and potentially debilitating disease we have the wherewithal to prevent is compelling testimony of past failings and future needs,” Dr Katz said. National Diabetes Education Program chairman Dr Larry Blonde urged people to keep a close watch on their health. “It's important to know if you have pre-diabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. You should talk to your healthcare professional about your risk. If your blood glucose is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, losing weight and increasing physical activity will greatly lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes,” Dr Blonde said.
