The proportion of the African American population that has diabetes rises from less than 1 percent for those aged younger than 20 years to as high as 32 percent for women age 65-74 years. Overall, among those age 20 years or older, the rate is 11.8 percent for women and 8.5 percent for men.

About one-third of total diabetes cases are undiagnosed among African Americans. This is similar to the proportion for other racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

National health surveys during the past 35 years show that the percentage of the African American population that has been diagnosed with diabetes is increasing dramatically. The surveys in 1976-80 and in 1988-94 measured fasting plasma glucose and thus allowed an assessment of the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes as well as of previously diagnosed diabetes. In 1976-80, total diabetes prevalence in African Americans ages 40 to 74 years was 8.9 percent; in 1988-94, total prevalence had increased to 18.2 percent--a doubling of the rate in just 12 years. (http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/pubs/afam/afam.htm).

[ Prevalence in African Americans is much higher than in white Americans ]

Prevalenhttps://napi.net-flow.com/diabetessite.net/form.html?Group=Content&Form_ID=57&Record_ID=1#Submit https://napi.net-flow.com/diabetessite.net/form.html?Group=Content&Form_ID=57&Record_ID=1#Submitce in African Americans is much higher than in white Americans. Among those ages 40 to 74 years in the 1988-94 survey, the rate was 11.2 percent for whites, but was 18.2 percent for African Americans.

By 1994, however, death certificates listed diabetes as the seventh leading cause of death for African Americans. For those age 45 years or older, it was the fifth leading cause of death.

Today, diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious health challenges facing the United States. The following statistics illustrate the magnitude of this disease among African Americans.

• 2.3 million African Americans have diabetes.
• For every six white Americans who have diabetes, 10 African Americans have diabetes.
• Approximately 10.8 percent of all African Americans have diabetes.
• African Americans with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes complications and experience greater disability from the complications than white Americans with diabetes.
• Death rates for people with diabetes are 27 percent higher for African Americans compared with whites.

Important facts for diabetic African American women:

• Approximately 2.6 million African Americans have diabetes; half of them don't even know it.
• Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death by disease in African Americans.
• African American women are at special risk of developing diabetes. It is estimated that one out of every four African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes.
• Compared to Caucasians, African Americans' have one-third more diabetes; experience less Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes but four times as much Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes; and develop more complications from diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness.