Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among American Indians/Alaskan Natives--United States, 1996

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1998 Oct 30;47(42):901-4.

Abstract

Since the early 1960s, diabetes has disproportionately affected American Indians/Alaskan Natives (Als/ANs) compared with other populations. Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity (such as blindness, kidney failure, lower-extremity amputation, and cardiovascular disease) and premature mortality in this population. To update information about the prevalence of diabetes among Als/ANs, data were analyzed from the Indian Health Service (IHS) national outpatient database for 1996 and were compared with the prevalence of diabetes among non-Hispanic whites in the United States. This report presents the findings of this analysis, which indicate that the prevalence of diabetes among Als/ANs remains high and is approximately three times the prevalence among non-Hispanic whites.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus / ethnology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Inuit / statistics & numerical data*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • United States / epidemiology
  • White People / statistics & numerical data