THURSDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Most of the people in the United States with prediabetes, a state that puts them at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they do not take measures to prevent that progression, are unaware of their condition, according to research published in the March 22 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
YanFeng Li, M.D., of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2006, 2007 to 2008, and 2009 to 2010 to estimate how many people in the United States with prediabetes know they have it.
The researchers found that during the last sampling period, only about 11 percent of people with prediabetes identified themselves as such, and that from 2005 to 2010, less than 14 percent of all population groups were aware of prediabetes.
"In the United States, persons with prediabetes, including those with regular access to health care, might benefit from efforts aimed at making them aware that they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and that they can reduce that risk by making modest lifestyle changes. Efforts are needed to increase awareness," the authors write.
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