CDC: 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes
An estimated one in three U.S. adolescents aged 12 to 17 had prediabetes in 2023, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures suggest that about 8.4 million young people, or 32.7% of that age group, had elevated blood sugar levels, a warning sign for future Type 2 diabetes.
The data was from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample that collects information on various demographic and health indicators through interviews, examinations and lab testing. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. It significantly raises the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Risk factors for prediabetes include being overweight, low physical activity, and a family history of Type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, among adults, new diabetes diagnoses have stopped declining after more than a decade, with 1.5 million cases reported in 2023, the CDC noted.
Read more: CDC
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