Atlanta, GA–Diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are surging among youth in the United States. From 2001 to 2017, the number of people under age 20 living with type 1 diabetes increased by 45%, and the number living with type 2 diabetes grew by 95%.
Type 1 diabetes remains the most common type of diabetes in U.S. youth according to a report published today in JAMA, “Trends in Prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2001-2017.”
Additional key findings from the report:
- The estimated number of youth aged 0-19 years with type 1 diabetes increased from 148 per 100,000 in 2001 to 215 per 100,000 in 2017.
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- From 2001-2017, significant increases in the number of youth living with type 1 diabetes were observed in among ages 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19 years, in both sexes and for each racial and ethnic group.
- Type 1 diabetes remains more common among white youth than among youth from racial or ethnic minority groups.
- The estimated number of youth aged 10-19 living with type 2 diabetes increased from 34 per 100,000 in 2001 to 67 per 100,000 in 2017.
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- From 2001-2017, significant increases in the number of youth living with type 2 diabetes were observed in youth aged 10-14 and 15-19 years old, in both sexes and for each racial and ethnic group.
- Type 2 diabetes remains more common among youth in racial or ethnic minority groups than among white youth.
- The greatest increases in type 2 diabetes prevalence were seen in youth who are Black or Hispanic, and the highest number of youth per 1,000 living with type 2 diabetes were seen in youth who are Black or American Indian.
These findings come from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In the United States, 34.2 million Americans — just over 1 in 10 — have diabetes. To learn more about diabetes in the U.S. and type 2 diabetes prevention, visit https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/home/index.html.
