CDC study: 2 million teens heading for diabetes

CDC study: 2 million teens heading for diabetes

About 2 million teenagers have prediabetic conditions that could lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Congressional Quarterly reports that one in 10 boys and one in 25 girls have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a condition in which blood sugar levels remain high many hours after eating. Researchers found that adolescents with IFG have insulin resistance and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This could lead to a higher level of diabetes being diagnosed in the future, the report says. The study, which surveyed more than 900 adolescents in 1999 and 2000, was published in the November Pediatrics. The CDC also recently reported that about 21 million Americans have diabetes, and most have the type 2 variety.