Nearly a Quarter of U.S. Teens Have Diabetes or Prediabetes

The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among teens is up from 9 percent in 1999-2000 to 23 percent in 2007-2008, according to a new study published in Pediatrics. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a continuous database analyzing the health and nutritional status of Americans, to find that children ages 12 to 19, about 34 percent of whom are overweight or obese, are at increased risk for several cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, and diabetes. Prevalence of at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor was at 37, 49, and 61 percent for normal weight, overweight, and obese teens, respectively.