U.S. Diabetes Rates Up by 40 Percent

Diabetes rates increased in the United States from 1999 to 2012, according to a study published in Diabetes Care. Researchers examined diabetes rates and other county-level information from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Overall diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes rates rose 40 percent in this time period from about 10 percent to about 14 percent. The highest rates were among the southern states, areas along the Texas-Mexico border, and Native American reservations when compared to New England and the Midwest. These findings highlight the wide variance in diabetes awareness and ability to control this disease at the local level and should help focus public health policies to areas most in need.