The Article in Brief

Diabetes is becoming more widespread in the United States. Based on a large national survey, researchers found that, from 1988 to 2000, the age at which patients had type 2 diabetes diagnosed decreased from 52 to 46 years. There could be several reasons for this. People may be getting type 2 diabetes at an earlier age, medical professionals may be detecting the disease at earlier stages, and the public may be more aware of and educated about the disease, and therefore seeking treatment earlier.