Readers React: New diabetes numbers are nothing to celebrate

To the editor: In evaluating the paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., arguing that the most recent diabetes statistics are “good news” for Americans only threatens to further degrade the public’s understanding of the severity of the situation. (“Diabetes nation? Half of Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes,” Sept. 8)

Instead of focusing on the opinions presented in the editorial that prefaces the paper’s data, we should look at the numbers themselves when deciding whether we are satisfied with our nation’s diabetes trajectory. With numbers like 12% to 14% of the adult population having diabetes, or the whopping 83% of Americans over 65 who have diabetes or pre-diabetes, it is hard to accept that we should think positively about the plateau in diabetes diagnoses.

Given that only 1 in 6 senior citizens in the U.S. does not have diabetes or pre-diabetes, we are far from any true celebration.

Kelly Close, San Francisco

The writer is founder of the diabetes advocacy group The diaTribe Foundation.

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