Secular changes in the age-specific prevalence of diabetes among U.S. adults: 1988-2010

OBJECTIVEdTo examine the age-specific changes of prevalence of diabetes among U.S. adults during the past 2 decades. RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODSdThis study included 22,586 adults sampled in three periods of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994, 1999– 2004, and 2005–2010). Diabetes was defined as having self-reported diagnosed diabetes or having a fasting plasma glucose level $126 mg/dL or HbA1c $6.5 % (48 mmol/mol). RESULTSdThe number of adults with diabetes increased by 75 % from 1988–1994 to 2005– 2010. After adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, and education level, the prevalence of diabetes increased over the two decades across all age-groups. Younger adults (20–34 years of age) had the lowest absolute increase in diabetes prevalence of 1.0%, followed bymiddle-aged adults (35– 64) at 2.7 % and older adults ($65) at 10.0 % (all P, 0.001). Comparing 2005–2010with 1988– 1994, the adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) by age-group were 2.3, 1.3, and 1.5 for younger, middle-aged, and older adults, respectively (all P, 0.05). After additional adjustment for body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), or waist circumference (WC), the adjusted PR remained statistically significant only for adults $65 years of age