Diabetes prevalence increasing in the U.S.; new drugs in development

The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States increased from 4.5% to 8.2% from 1995 to 2010, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to look at trends in diabetes incidence since 1995. The BRFSS uses state-based random-digit-dialed telephone surveys to collect information on health behaviors and conditions among noninstitutionalized U.S. adults who are at least 18 years of age. The new report was published online Nov. 16 by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In 1995, age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was 6% or greater in three states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; by 2010, all states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had an age-adjusted prevalence of 6% or greater. In 2010, states located in the South had the highest median age-adjusted prevalence (9.8%) compared with the Midwest (7.5%), Northeast (7.3%) and West (7.3%). Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia had the highest age-adjusted prevalence (all ≥10%), while Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Vermont and Wyoming had the lowest age-adjusted prevalence (6.0% to 6.9%).

Forty-eight states saw an increase of at least 50% in age-adjusted prevalence between 1995 and 2010, while 18 states saw an increase of 100% or greater. The largest relative increase was seen in the South, followed by the West, the Midwest and the Northeast. The study was limited to noninstitutionalized people who had landline telephones, and the results do not consider people with undiagnosed or type 1 diabetes, the authors noted. They pointed out that the observed increase in age-adjusted prevalence is in part due to changes in diagnostic criteria, enhanced detection of undiagnosed diabetes, demographic changes in the U.S. population (e.g., aging of the population and growth of minority populations who are at greater risk for diabetes), and also probably related to improved survival in those with the disease.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America recently reported that 221 new drugs for diabetes and diabetes-related diseases are either waiting for FDA approval or undergoing clinical study. Thirty-two drugs are for type 1 diabetes, 130 are for type 2, 14 are for unspecified diabetes, and 64 are for diabetes-related conditions; some drugs appear in more than one category. More details are available online.