One out of every four U.S. residents with diabetes doesn't even realize it. The population now boasts nearly 10 percent of diabetics, states a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
In addition, another 86 million adults, more than one-third, are suffering from prediabetes, which means blood sugar levels are higher than normal but just under the diagnostic level of type 2 diabetes. African Americans account for 39 percent of this group, Hispanics represent 38 percent and Caucasians account for 35 percent. Indian/Alaska Native adults are twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as white adults, notes the report.
"These new numbers are alarming, and underscore the need for an increased focus on reducing the burden of diabetes in our country," Ann Albright, director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, said in an agency news release.
Albright added the rising numbers of diabetics would very likely mean higher human and economic costs. In 2012, the total medical costs and lost work and wages jumped to $245 billion from $174 billion just five years earlier. In 2012, 1.7 million residents, ages 20 and up, were diagnosed.
"It's urgent that we take swift action to effectively treat and prevent this serious disease," Albright said.
Data published earlier this year conflicts with the CDC information, notes one publication (registration required), as a study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed a bigger under-diagnosed figure. That study claims the percentage of undiagnosed cases was 11 percent in 2010, a big jump from 6 percent in 1988
A recent study revealed 3.2 million of U.K. citizens have been diagnosed with diabetes, with 90 percent suffering from type 2.
The country's Department of Health says that in 2012 around 7.3 percent of the total population was affected by diabetes. However, the department estimates that the percentage will jump to 8.8 percent by 2030.
The UK's National Health Service is already on its heels trying to address the seriousness of diabetes. The NHS Health Check system invites adults aged between 40 and 74 in England to get a health assessment. The program aims to find people who are at a high risk of medical conditions such as diabetes or heart diseases. Medical experts suggest that if people get an early medical check-up, then they can also get early treatment to avoid any complications.
