New Type 2 Diabetes Cases Have Doubled in 30 Years

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New Type 2 Diabetes Cases Have Doubled in 30 Years

By Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- The number of new cases of type 2

diabetes

among middle-aged Americans has doubled over the past 30 years, researchers

report.

" There has been tremendous concern, but probably not enough concern, about

the emerging epidemic of diabetes, " said Dr. Rizza, a professor of

medicine

at the Mayo Clinic and president of the American Diabetes Association. " It

doesn't take long to be doubling before the numbers are simply too great to

be even conceived of. "

" We've got to stop this, and, of course, it's

obesity

which is driving it, " Rizza added. " This is a biologic weapon which has been

unleashed on our population -- its name is diabetes. "

Experts agree that the great increase in obesity over the same time frame

appears to be responsible for the growing incidence of diabetes. An

estimated

two-thirds of adult Americans are now overweight or obese.

" These [diabetes numbers] warrant monitoring, especially if we continue to

see increases in the trends of obesity, " said study lead author Dr. Caroline

S. Fox, a medical officer at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's

Framingham Heart Study.

The study findings appear in the June 19 issue of the journal Circulation.

In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn't produce enough

insulin --

the hormone that converts blood sugar to energy for cells -- or the cells

ignore the insulin. Left untreated, the disease can produce complications

such

as heart disease, blindness, nerve and kidney damage.

In their study, Fox and her colleagues collected data on 3,104 men and

women, ages 40 to 55, who participated in the Framingham Offspring study.

All participants

were diabetes-free at the start of the study, and they received a routine

physical examination during the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. They were

also

followed for eight years to track new cases of diabetes.

The researchers found that the odds of developing type 2 diabetes increased

40 percent from the 1970s to the '80s, and doubled between the '70s and

'90s.

The data revealed that among women, there was an 84 percent increase in the

incidence of type 2 diabetes in the '90s, compared with the '70s. In men,

the

incidence of type 2 diabetes more than doubled in the '90s compared with the

'70s.

This trend must be reversed to avoid serious repercussions for the U.S.

economy and health-care system, Rizza said.

" It requires a concerted effort by our health-care system, by our

government, by all parts of society to realize that this epidemic is

endangering not only

all the people alive, but our children and our children's children, " Rizza

said. " Our health-care system and our nation's economy cannot tolerate one

in

three people having diabetes. "

One expert thinks the only way to correct the problem is by making a total

lifestyle change.

" This epidemic results, almost entirely, from obesity and sedentary

behavior, " said Nonas, director of the obesity and diabetes program at

North General

Hospital, in New York City, and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic

Association.

" The more sedentary we are, the fatter we get, the more

insulin resistance

we get, the more at risk we are for type 2 diabetes, " Nonas said. " We have

to maintain healthier weights. We have to be active. "

SOURCES: Caroline S. Fox, M.D., M.P.H., medical officer at the National

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study; Rizza,

M.D., professor

of medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and president, American Diabetes

Association; Nonas, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., director, obesity and diabetes

program, North General Hospital, New York City, and spokeswoman, American

Dietetic Association; June 20, 2006, Circulation: Journal of the American

Heart

Association

Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.

comment by Harry Bates June 26, 2006:

The primary cause of obesity and diabetes in my opinion is the high

consumption of refined carbohydrates such as regular soda pop and fruit

juices. If you don't believe me, just think of all the people who refuse to

switch from regular soda pop filled with sugar to a diet soda pop without

any sugar at all. Now think of how many soda pops are now consumed each

day, whereas in the past 30 years ago one might drink as many as one soda

pop per day, but now people drink them four or five of them per day, instead

of water or tea. Never mind we have always been told that good old Florida

orange juice is good for you as well as drinking that apple juice. These

refined fruit juices are full of sugar. I don't believe I need to even

mention the increase of ice cream consumption at this point; another high

refined carb food.