CDC: 1 in 3 US Adults Could Have Diabetes by 2050

A sobering new analysis from the CDC found that as many as one in three adults in the US could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. By comparison, one in 10 US adults have diabetes now.

The rise is expected to be triggered by an aging population that is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, increases in minority groups at a high risk for type 2 diabetes and people with diabetes living longer. It is estimated that the number of new diabetes cases each year will rise from 8 per 1,000 people in 2008 to 15 per 1,000 in 2050. Currently, about 24 million Americans have diabetes, and one quarter of them don't know that they have it.

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, gestational diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle. Some races and ethnicities are also at a higher risk for developing the disease, including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2007. It's also the leading cause of blindness among adults under the age of 75, kidney failure and leg and foot amputations (not related to injury) among adults. On average, the medical expenses for people with diagnosed diabetes are twice that of non-diabetics.

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