ABSTRACT
The.elderly.population.is.recognized.as.one.of.the.fastest.growing.age.groups.in.the.United.States,. and. it. has.been.widely.predicted. that.over. the.next. two.decades. this. segment.of. the.population. will.place.a.progressively.heavier.demand.on.the.health.care.system[1]..A.recent.analysis.of. the. data. set. from. the.Third.National.Health. and.Nutrition.Examination.Survey. (NHANES. III).has. shown.that.the.age-adjusted.prevalence.of.obesity.has.increased.from.22.9%.(1994-1998).to.30.5%. (1999-2002)..Based.on.data.from.the.NHANES.(1999-2002),.9.3%.of.persons.aged.≥20.years.have. diabetes,.representing.an.estimated.19.3.million.people.in.2002..The.percentage.with.diabetes.was. highest.in.those.aged.≥65.years.(21.6%)..Remarkably,.approximately.one.third.(30.1%).of.people. with.diabetes. remain.undiagnosed..An.additional.26.0%.of. adults.had. impaired. fasting.glucose. (IFG),.a.condition.that.signals.an.increased.risk.for.diabetes.that.is.associated.with.other.cardiovascular.risk.factors..Thus,.in.2002,.a.combined.total.of.35.3%.of.the.adult.U.S..population.(73.3. million.persons).had.diabetes.or.IFG.[2].
