Study: Half of Hispanic Adults Will Develop Diabetes

by

Share On Social!

Senior Couple Studying Financial Document At HomeU.S. Hispanic men and women now have a 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, according to a new federal study, Medical News Today reports.

The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, examined years of diabetes incidence and death rates.

Overall, researchers found that, for an average 20-year-old American, the lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased from 20% in 1985-89 to 40% in 2000-11 for men, and from 27% to 39% for women.

In addition to Hispanics’ higher risk, black women also had a 50% lifetime risk of diabetes.

But while risk increased, years of life lost to diabetes decreased.

“As the number of diabetes cases continue to increase and patients live longer, there will be a growing demand for health services and extensive costs,” Dr. Edward Gregg, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told Medical News Today. “More effective lifestyle interventions are urgently needed to reduce the number of new cases in the US and other developed nations.”

Check out resources for diabetes prevention in English and Spanish from the American Diabetes Association.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

20.7

percent

of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)

Share your thoughts