Diabetes and pre-diabetes cases have about doubled since the late 1980s.
Researchers found the increase in these conditions have been particularly prevalent in "blacks, Hispanics and the elderly," a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health news release reported.
"There is a growing need to recognize this serious issue, especially since most cases of diabetes can be prevented through weight loss and other lifestyle changes," lead author, Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said in the news release.
The diabetes rate has increased from six to 10 percent since 1988 and cases of pre-diabetes have nearly doubled as well. Diabetes rates in the U.S. are believed to be between 12 and 30 percent.
The researchers looked at 43,000 participants over the course of two decades to make their findings.
Cases of diabetes have increased in the U.S. over the past two decades, but the prevalence of undiagnosed cases have decreased. Today only about 11 percent of diabetes cases go undiagnosed. Diabetes screening could still be improved
"The substantially greater prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes, and poor rates of glycemic control (even among persons with medication-treated diabetes) in ethnic minority populations is particularly concerning," Selvin said. "Especially since blacks and Mexican Americans are also at a greater risk for complications of diabetes."
Diabetes cases in blacks was nearly double what it was in whites; Mexican Americans also had a greater prevalence of the condition than whites. Racial and ethnic differences were also found in diabetes treatments. Among those diagnosed with diabetes and taking medications only "52 [percent] of non-Hispanic blacks and 43 [percent] of Mexican Americans had HbA1c levels less than 7.0 [percent] compared with 57 [percent] of non-Hispanic whites."
"The implications of the increase in pre-diabetes and diabetes are enormous but the good news is we are doing better with screening and diagnosis," Selvin said.
