Nearly one in every three children aged at least 12 have prediabetes, or higher than normal blood sugar levels or glucose levels, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new update.
CDC researchers analyzed 2023 results from a long-running national survey and estimated that 32.7 percent of children aged 12 to 17, or 8.4 million youth, have prediabetes.
They came up with the number by looking at kids who had higher-than-normal levels of blood sugar or glucose, without a diagnosis of diabetes.
Christopher Holliday, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, said in a statement to news outlets that diabetes is a significant threat to the health of young people. He also said the data should serve as “a wake-up call” and spur changes….