New data from the National Center for Health Statistics reveals that 15.8% of U.S. adults were living with diabetes from August 2021 to August 2023. This statistic, outlined in a November data brief, includes both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases of diabetes, excluding gestational diabetes.
The report, authored by Dr. Jane A. Gwira and colleagues at the National Center for Health Statistics, utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the prevalence of diabetes across the United States. The findings highlight that 11.3% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes, while 4.5% remained undiagnosed during the study period.
The data also revealed notable gender disparities, with men experiencing a higher prevalence of both total and diagnosed diabetes compared to women—18.0% versus 13.7% for total diabetes, and 12.9% versus 9.7% for diagnosed diabetes.
As expected, the prevalence of diabetes was higher among older adults and those with higher body weights. The study also noted a significant increase in the age-adjusted prevalence of both total and diagnosed diabetes between 1999–2002 and the period from August 2021 to August 2023.
The authors emphasized that more than one-quarter of adults with diabetes were unaware of their condition, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance of both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases to accurately monitor the diabetes epidemic in the U.S.
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