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Diabetes Statistics
Increasing Risk for America?s Minority Women
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., October 5, 2004 -
The prevalence of diabetes is at least two to four times higher among African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Asian/Pacific Islander women than among white women.
Because of the increasing life span of women and the rapid growth of minority populations, the number of American women at high risk for diabetes and its complications is increasing.
Age and Diabetes
Diabetes prevalence increases with age. Approximately half of all diabetes cases occur in people older than 55 and approximately 18.3% (8.6 million) of Americans age 60 and over have diabetes.
A growing number of children and adolescents are developing Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes generally diagnosed among adults. Young people most at risk are overweight; older than 10 and in middle to late puberty; have a family history of Type 2 diabetes; are members of a certain ethnic groups (African American, Latino and Native American descent). As the U.S. population becomes increasingly overweight, researchers expect Type 2 diabetes to appear more frequently in younger, pre-pubescent children.
African Americans
- African Americans are 1.6 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
- One in four African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes.
Hispanics/Latinos
- The prevalence of diabetes is 1.5 times higher in Hispanics/Latinos than non-Hispanic whites.
- Two million, or 8.2%, of all Hispanics/Latinos aged 20 years or older have diabetes.
Native Americans
- On average, Native Americans are 2.2 times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.
- Today, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions among Native Americans. Complications from diabetes are major causes of death and health problems in most Native American populations.
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