As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050, federal officials recently announced.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 1 in 10 have diabetes now – approximately 24 million Americans – but that number could grow to 1 in 5 or even 1 in 3 by mid-century if current trends continue.
The report was published in the Oct. 22 issue of Population Health Metrics. Edward Gregg, Emory adjunct professor of global health, and David Williamson, Emory visiting professor of global health, were co-authors.
The CDC’s projections have been a work in progress. The last revision put the number at 39 million in 2050. The new estimate takes it to the range of 76 million to 100 million.
The growth in U.S. diabetes cases has been closely tied to escalating obesity rates. A corresponding rise in diabetes has even prompted researchers to coin a new hybrid term: diabesity.
“There is an epidemic going on that, if left unchecked, will have a huge effect on the U.S. population and on health care costs,†says K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD, MSc, MBA, professor of global health and epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, who came to Emory from the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “The numbers are very worrying.â€
K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD, MSc, MBA
Narayan also heads the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, which aims to find solutions to the growing global diabetes epidemic. The Center serves as the research leader and hub for population-based research and large intervention trials throughout South Asia and globally.
“Whatever we do, the fruits of our research have to be available to people everywhere,†says Narayan.
Read more about Dr. Narayan’s global efforts and diabetes research underway at Emory.
Hear Dr. Narayan talk about the Global Diabetes Research Center.
