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Posted on Oct 31, 2008, 5 a.m.
By Rich Hurd
New figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have revealed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the US has risen by 90% within just ten years.
New figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have revealed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the US has risen by 90% within just ten years.
The figures showed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes increased from 4.8 people per 1,000 in 1995 -1997 to 9.1 people per thousand in 2005 - 2007. However, the true incidence of the disease is likely to be much higher as the data used in this study was from self-reported surveys, and approximately one-third of people with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have diabetes.
Data showed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is highest in the Southern states, with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia all making the top ten for highest annual diabetes rate. In fact, Arizona is the only state in the top ten that is not in the South.
Out of the 33 states for which the CDC has complete data, West Virginia has the highest annual incidence of diabetes, with 12.7 new cases of type 2 diabetes for every 1,000 citizens. Minnesota has the lowest annual diabetes rate at 5.0 new cases per 1,000 citizens.
The CDC blames the obesity epidemic for the dramatic rise in type 2 diabetes, and says that “diabetes can be prevented or delayed by moderate weight loss and increased physical activity.”
State-Specific Incidence of Diabetes Among Adults --- Participating States, 1995--1997 and 2005--2007. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2008;57:1169-1173.
