Rising Prediabetes Rates in American Teens: A Growing Health Concern

In 2023, over 30% of U.S. teenagers were classified as prediabetic, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reported that approximately 8.4 million youths aged 12 to 17 had elevated blood sugar levels, increasing their risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This figure represents 32.7% of the adolescent population in the United States.

The findings were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, where participants reported diabetes diagnoses and provided fasting blood glucose or hemoglobin A1C measurements. However, some experts have questioned the CDC’s conclusions due to the lack of raw data or a peer-reviewed study to support the summary. The agency also altered its methodology from a 2020 prediabetes report without providing an explanation, and a CDC spokesperson did not respond to inquiries from The Hill.

Christopher Gardner, a Stanford University diabetes researcher, expressed skepticism about the data, citing recent layoffs and firings at national health organizations. He emphasized the need for transparency in data sources and analysis, according to The Associated Press. Despite these concerns, the CDC’s findings are consistent with other research indicating a rise in prediabetes among American teens. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics, also based on the health survey, found that roughly one in three adolescents was prediabetic. It noted that the prevalence of the condition among 12- to 19-year-olds more than doubled from 1999 to 2002, increasing from 12% to 28% between 2015 and 2018.