PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Lee, Ji Won R.
AU  - Brancati, Frederick L.
AU  - Yeh, Hsin-Chieh
TI  - Trends in the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Asians Versus Whites
AID  - 10.2337/dc10-0746
DP  - 2011 Feb 01
TA  - Diabetes Care
PG  - 353--357
VI  - 34
IP  - 2
4099  - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/2/353.short
4100  - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/2/353.full
SO  - Diabetes Care2011 Feb 01; 34
AB  - OBJECTIVE To examine trends in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and related conditions in Asian Americans compared with non-Hispanic whites.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 1997 to 2008 to construct a nationally representative sample of 230,503 U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. Of these adults, 11,056 identified themselves as Asian Americans and 219,447 as non-Hispanic whites.RESULTS The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of type 2 diabetes was higher in Asian Americans than in whites throughout the study period (4.3–8.2% vs. 3.8–6.0%), and there was a significant upward trend in both ethnic groups (P < 0.01). BMI also was increased in both groups, but age- and sex-adjusted BMI was consistently lower in Asian Americans. In fully adjusted logistic regression models, Asian Americans remained 30–50% more likely to have diabetes than their white counterparts. In addition, Asian Indians had the highest odds of prevalent type 2 diabetes, followed by Filipinos, other Asians, and Chinese.CONCLUSIONS Compared with their white counterparts, Asian Americans have a significantly higher risk for type 2 diabetes, despite having substantially lower BMI. Additional investigation of this disparity is warranted, with the aim of tailoring optimal diabetes prevention strategies to Asian Americans.