Health & Medicine
Obesity Epidemic to Blame for Increased Number of Diabetes Cases in U.S.
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Apr 14, 2014 06:30 PM EDT
As the obesity epidemic continues to progress, a recent study shows that the number of those affected by type 2 diabetes has also dramatically increased over the past 20 years. A condition that now affects over 20 million adults, researchers have found that nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population is diabetic.
"There has been a staggering increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past 30 years in the United States," said researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, via dailyrx.com.
Lead study author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, of the university, examined diabetic conditions as defined by hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c. This is typically the blood test used to provide information on a patient's average blood sugar levels during the previous three months.
For the study, researchers used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 1998 to 1999 to 2010 in order to identify the issue for 43,439 participants aged 20 and older. Various types of data on participants were recorded, including blood tests, demographic information and a list of previous conditions.
With participants' HbA1c levels, researchers were able to look for any undiagnosed instances of diabetic or prediabetic conditions.
Findings showed that the total rate of diabetes cases increased from 6.2 percent of participants in 1988 to 1994 to 8.8 percent in 1999 to 2004. From there, it went up to 9.9 percent in 2005 and 2010.
"The reality is that we know what to do to prevent type 2 diabetes, but doing it on a population level is an incredible challenge," Selvin said, via Web MD. "There's some evidence that the obesity epidemic may have plateaued, but combating the environment that contributes to obesity is an incredible difficulty."
Thus, study authors recommend moderate lifestyle changes to dramatically decrease risks, including healthier diet, along with a more active exercise regimen.
More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
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First Posted: Apr 14, 2014 06:30 PM EDT
As the obesity epidemic continues to progress, a recent study shows that the number of those affected by type 2 diabetes has also dramatically increased over the past 20 years. A condition that now affects over 20 million adults, researchers have found that nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population is diabetic.
"There has been a staggering increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past 30 years in the United States," said researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, via dailyrx.com.
Lead study author Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, of the university, examined diabetic conditions as defined by hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c. This is typically the blood test used to provide information on a patient's average blood sugar levels during the previous three months.
For the study, researchers used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 1998 to 1999 to 2010 in order to identify the issue for 43,439 participants aged 20 and older. Various types of data on participants were recorded, including blood tests, demographic information and a list of previous conditions.
With participants' HbA1c levels, researchers were able to look for any undiagnosed instances of diabetic or prediabetic conditions.
Findings showed that the total rate of diabetes cases increased from 6.2 percent of participants in 1988 to 1994 to 8.8 percent in 1999 to 2004. From there, it went up to 9.9 percent in 2005 and 2010.
"The reality is that we know what to do to prevent type 2 diabetes, but doing it on a population level is an incredible challenge," Selvin said, via Web MD. "There's some evidence that the obesity epidemic may have plateaued, but combating the environment that contributes to obesity is an incredible difficulty."
Thus, study authors recommend moderate lifestyle changes to dramatically decrease risks, including healthier diet, along with a more active exercise regimen.
More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone