Diabetes Prevalence Continues to Rise, Especially Among Minorities

Using data from >15,000 people (age, ≥20) that were collected as part of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers evaluated trends in diabetes during the past 2 decades (1988–1994 and 1999–2010). Laboratory data included glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) and fasting plasma glucose levels. Participants who reported physician-diagnosed diabetes were classified as confirmed diabetic; participants without diagnosed diabetes were categorized as undiagnosed diabetic (HbA_1c, ≥6.5%; or fasting glucose, ≥126 mg/dL), prediabetic (HbA_1c, 5.7%–6.4%; or fasting glucose, 100–125 mg/dL), or normal glycemic.

The prevalence of obesity among people without confirmed diabetes increased from 21% in 1988–1994 to 32% in 2005–2…