How far do we have to go in the fight against diabetes?
May 7, 2014
While we recently wrote about a study saying that heart attacks and stroke complications from diabetes had been drastically reduced in the last 20 years, another study shows just how far we have to go in the fight against diabetes.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the prevalence of both types of diabetes in American youth and adults increased between 2001 and 2009. Among children under the age of 19, the study found an increase of 21 percent.
The study makes special note that prevalence was higher among children in minority ethnic groups, especially black and Hispanic children. Those groups had the highest percentage increases, according to the study.
In their report on the study, the New York Times spoke with Dr. Dana Dabelea, lead author of the study, who called the results “particularly worrisome.”
The study notes that further research into the causes of these increases is necessary. But one thing is clear: While as a society we’re obviously getting better at dealing with and treating diabetes, we may not be tackling its underlying causes well enough.