CDC: New Diabetes Cases Down Among Adults, But On the Rise in Youth

Approximately 34.2 million individuals of all ages, or 10.5% of the US population, had type 1 or type 2 diabetes in 2018, according to the CDC’s new National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020.  

The report features trends in prevalence and incidence estimates over time for diabetes based on various data systems of CDC, Indian Health Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and US Census Bureau, and from published studies.

According to the data, newly-diagnosed cases of diabetes have decreased among US adults, whereas new cases among youth have increased. The report that new cases among US adults decreased from 2008 to 2018, whereas cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the rise among youth under the age of 20.

Overall diabetes prevalence has significantly increased among adults from 1999 to 2016, jumping from 9.5% in 1999-2002 to 12% in 2013-2016, the report found. This was specifically seen in the rates of diagnosed diabetes, whereas no significant change in undiagnosed diabetes prevalence was detected. Crude estimates for 2018 suggested that 26.9 million individuals of all ages had diagnosed diabetes, which was based on self-report.

Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes was highest among American Indians/Alaska Natives (14.7%), individuals of Hispanic origin (12.5%), and non-Hispanic black individuals (11.7%). Education level also played a factor, with more adults who received less than a high school education (13.3%) having diagnosed diabetes compared with those with a high school education (9.7%( or more than a high school education (7.5%).

According to the CDC, “more people are developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes during youth, and racial and ethnic minorities continue to develop type 2 diabetes at higher rates. Likewise, the proportion of older people in our nation is increasing, and older people are more likely to have a chronic disease like diabetes.”

Among US adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes, crude estimates for 2013-2016 showed that risk factors for diabetes-related complications included smoking, being overweight/obese, physical inactivity, A1C, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Additionally, an estimated 88 million adults aged 18 years or older had prediabetes in 2018. The percentage of adults with prediabetes who were aware they had the condition doubled between 2005 and 2016, but most continue to be unaware, according to the report.

Increasing diabetes burden has led to increased health care costs in the United States. The total costs of diagnosed diabetes in 2017 was $327 billion, with excess medical costs per person increasing from $8417 in 2012 to $9601 in 2017.

Data from this report can help guide prevention and management efforts across the nation, the CDC said.

References:

1. CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States. CDC’s website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf. Accessed February 26, 2020.

2. CDC. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. CDC’s website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-stat-report.html. Accessed February 26, 2020.