Preventing diabetes: Lessons learned from the diabetes prevention program and its follow-up

摘要

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rapidly increasing and is becoming the most common chronic disease in the United States, with more than 7% of the adult population affected and 1,500,000 new cases per year.It is even more common in older Americans and in minority populations including Native Americans, Asian/ Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and African Americans. The severe long-term complications that accompany diabetes ultimately cause more adult cases of blindness, renal failure, and amputations than any other disease in the United States. In addition, people with diabetes have a twofold to fourfold increased risk for cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease and stroke.