Almost 10% Of U.S. Adults Have Diabetes

Approximately 10% of adults age 20 and older in the United States had confirmed diabetes in 2010, representing 21 million people. In 1990, about six percent of adults had confirmed diabetes. During the 20-year period, the prevalence of confirmed diabetes increased, but the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes remained fairly stable. The decrease in the proportion of undiagnosed diabetes cases over the 20-year period was attributed to improvements in screening and diagnosis.

These findings were reported in “Trends in Prevalence and Control of Diabetes in the United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2010” by Elizabeth Selvin, Ph.D., MPH . . .