June 25th, 2008

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 24 million Americans, roughly 8% of the U.S. population, have diabetes.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, “the number represents an increase of about 3 million over two years.”

While the number of people unaware that they have diabetes fell from 30% to 25%, the CDC estimates that 57 million people have pre-diabetes which puts them at increased risk for the disease.

“It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are at high risk,” said Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation.

“On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are aware that they have diabetes,” said Albright.