Prevent Disease.com - Many Elderly Americans Have Undiagnosed Diabetes



		Many Elderly Americans Have Undiagnosed Diabetes NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Up to one third of cases of diabetes in elderly Americans may go undiagnosed, researchers report. Their study found that in a group of more than 3,000 individuals aged 70 to 79, 8% had undiagnosed diabetes and nearly 16% had diabetes that had been diagnosed. Undiagnosed cases were more likely among men and overweight individuals, as well as those with high blood pressure (hypertension). The higher risk of undiagnosed diabetes found in people with risk factors for heart disease ``confirms the importance of monitoring glucose levels in people with cardiovascular risk factors,'' explain Dr. Lonneke V. Franse from the University of Tennessee in Memphis and colleagues. Diabetics who are not aware of their disease are less likely to take steps to control their blood sugar, putting them at increased risk of long-term complications associated with diabetes such as kidney damage, blindness and amputations from damage to nerves. The findings, published in the December issue of Diabetes Care, suggest that elderly men and all elderly individuals who have high blood pressure and are overweight are appropriate targets for diabetes screening. ``Screening for diabetes may be more efficient among these subgroups, especially among individuals with combinations of these risk factors,'' Franse and colleagues write. The study also found that rates of undiagnosed diabetes were equal among elderly black and white men (about 9%) but that black men had higher rates of diagnosed diabetes--about 23% compared with 14%. Similarly, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was higher among black women than white women, at nearly 22% compared with about 8%. The prevalence of diabetes, which currently affects about 16 million Americans, is expected to jump by 42% over the next 25 years in developed nations, according to the report. SOURCE: Diabetes Care 2001;24:2065-2070. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".