CDC Study Notes Increase in Diabetes Among Adolescents
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
purportedly identified a sharp increase in the prevalence of prediabetes/
diabetes among U.S. adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, from 9 percent in
1999-2000 to 23 percent in 2007-2008. Ashleigh May, et al., “Prevalence of
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among US Adolescents, 1999−2008,”
Pediatrics, May 2012. Relying on data from 3,383 participants in the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC researchers
concluded that among adolescents, “the overall prevalence was 14% for
prehypertension/hypertension, 22% for borderline-high/high low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol, 6% for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (<35
mg/DL), and 15% for prediabetes/diabetes during the survey period from
1999 to 2008.”
The study’s authors noted, however, that while there was “no significant
change in prehypertension/hypertension and borderline-high/high lowdensity
lipoprotein cholesterol prevalence from 1999-2000 to 2007-2008,”
prediabetes/diabetes prevalence rose by 14 percent. They also reported
that 37 percent of the normal-weight, 49 percent of the overweight and 61
percent of the obese adolescents exhibited at least one cardiovascular disease
risk factor during the course of the study.
“Parents should be concerned and aware of these findings,” one CDC epidemiologist told WebMD. “The main story here is that in addition to obesity, you need to be aware of these other potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease, that these risk factors are present relatively early.” See WebMD, May 21, 2012.
