More than 100 million adults in the United States have diabetes or prediabetes, and Hispanics are among the groups most likely to develop this disease, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today.
The report notes that by 2015 more than 30 million American adults had diabetes and 84.1 million prediabetes, a condition that, if left untreated, can trigger type 2 diabetes over a 5-year period.
Although these figures show that the trend has remained stable in recent years, diabetes still constitutes a serious health problem in the United States, where it is the seventh leading cause of death.
“More than one-third of adult Americans have prediabetes and most do not know it. Now more than ever, we must increase our efforts to reduce the burden of this serious disease,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald.
The report found that Hispanics are one of the groups with the highest incidence of the disease, with 12.1% of the total, compared with Asians, with 8.0% and non-Hispanic whites, with 7.4% .
Native Americans (15.1%) and African Americans (12.7%) are the two ethnic groups with the highest incidence of the disease, which is diagnosed to a greater extent in the southern and Appalachian regions of the United States.
Likewise, the disease is more common among men (36.6%) than in women (29.3%), a proportion that is similar across all ethnic groups and educational levels, according to the study.
Diabetes can lead to serious health complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputations of not being controlled through medication or insulin, a balanced diet, and regular physical activity.
“Diabetes is a factor that contributes to many other serious health conditions. By controlling diabetes, we limit other problems such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, diseases of the nerves and kidneys, and loss of vision,” said Ann. Albright, director of the CDC Diabetes Division.
