million for non-Hispanic blacks, 0.8 million
for Mexican-Americans, 4.6 million for
men, 5.6 million for women, and 10.2 million
for the total population.
The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes
using American Diabetes Association fasting
plasma glucose criteria is shown in Table 2.
P revalence increased with age, although for
some race/sex groups, there was a decline in
the rate for those 75 years of age. The ages
t a n d a rdized prevalence was slightly higher
in men than in women for non-Hispanic
whites and Mexican-Americans, but was
lower in men than in women for non-Hispanic
blacks. The age- and sex-standard i z e d
rate for non-Hispanic whites (2.5%) was
somewhat lower than for non-Hispanic
blacks (3.6%) and Mexican-Americans
(4.5%). When the rates in Table 2 were
applied to U.S. population projections for
1997, the number of people 20 years of
age who have undiagnosed diabetes was
estimated to be 3.8 million for non-Hispanic
whites, 0.7 million for non-Hispanic
blacks, 0.4 million for Mexican Americans,
2.9 million for men, 2.5 million for women,
and 5.4 million for the total population.
Total prevalence of diabetes based on
American Diabetes Association criteria is
shown in Figure 1. Prevalence rates ro s e
f rom 1–2% at ages 20–39 years to 18–20%
at ages 60–74 years and plateaued at ages