Between 2012 and 2022, the rate of type 2 diabetes increased by almost 20%, with Black folks faring worse compared with other racial groups, according to a new study by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers.

 

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, usually arises later in life. While the body still produces some insulin, cells are unable to use it for energy, a condition known as insulin resistance.

 

Published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, the study found an increase in diabetes across all sociodemographic groups. However, Black people were most impacted by the disease. Indeed, almost 16% of Black study participants reported having type 2 diabetes, according to a university news release.

 

The study also found that people ages 65 and older were more than 10 times as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes compared to people ages 18 to 24. Those between ages 45 and 64 were about five times as likely to be diagnosed.

 

What’s more, people with lower incomes had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes compared with those with higher incomes.

 

“Diabetes is increasing day by day in the U.S., and it will increase even more in the coming years,” said study lead author Sulakshan Neupane, a doctoral student in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in the release. “Diabetes costs around $412 billion, including medical costs and indirect costs, like loss of productivity. That’s a huge amount, and it’s only going to increase as more people are diagnosed with the disease.”

 

When looking at data by region, the South and Midwest had the largest increases in the number of people with type 2 diabetes, from 9.2% to 12.8%. Arkansas, Kentucky and Nebraska saw the highest increases during the study period.

 

The most common risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include being over age 45 and having overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, polycystic ovary syndrome and a history of diabetes during pregnancy or family members who have the disease.

 

Study participants with obesity were more likely to report having the disease. Researchers emphasize the importance of physical activity in preventing diabetes. In fact, participants who were physically active had a prevalence of under 10%, while inactive people had a prevalence rate closer to 19%.

 

“Identifying these risk factors and acting to mitigate them is key,” Neupane said. “Be more active. Pay more attention to your physical health. Some risk factors, like age and race, cannot be modified, but you can do something to lower risk of diabetes, like healthy eating, maintaining an active lifestyle and losing weight.”

 

To read more, click #Type 2 Diabetes. There, you’ll find headlines such as “These Patients Had to Lobby for Correct Diabetes Diagnoses. Was Their Race a Reason?” “Anti-Diabetes Drugs May Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer” and “Weight-Loss Surgery Yields Long-Term Benefits for Type 2 Diabetes.”