The Epidemiology of Diabetes in the U.S. Elderly

描述（由申请人提供）：据报道，在美国和许多其他国家，糖尿病的患病率正在上升。目前尚不清楚这种增加有多少是由于发病率的增加或生存率的提高。大多数糖尿病病例发生在老年人群中。这项研究将测量1997年至2003年67岁及以上的医疗保险受益人中糖尿病的发病率和患病率，以及死亡率。此外，心血管、肾脏、眼睛和神经系统并发症是老年人糖尿病的自然史和负担的重要组成部分。这项研究将测量研究开始时糖尿病患者（普遍病例）以及研究期间出现的新病例（意外病例）发生这些并发症的频率和时间。所有这些分析都将提供关于老年人、男性和女性的不同年龄组以及五个种族群体的信息：白人、黑人、亚洲人、西班牙裔和北美原住民。这项研究将是为数不多的，也是最新的，提供关于这一人口，特别是少数族裔群体成员的全国代表性信息的研究之一。因此，这些信息将有助于《2010年健康人倡议》和《消除健康方面种族和族裔差异总统倡议》，为跟踪《2010年健康人糖尿病目标》和《总统倡议》提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The reported prevalence of diabetes is increasing in the United States and in many other countries. It is not known how much of this increase is due to an increased incidence or increased survival. The majority of the cases of diabetes occur in the elderly population. This study will measure the incidence and prevalence of diabetes, as well as the mortality rates for the years 1997 through 2003 among Medicare beneficiaries 67 years of age and older. In addition, cardiovascular, kidney, eye and neurological complications are a major part of the natural history and burden of diabetes in the elderly. This study will measure the frequency and time to the onset of these complications in people who have diabetes at the time the study begins (prevalent cases) as well as in the new cases (incident cases) that develop during the study. All of these analyses will provide information on different age groups of the elderly, men and women, as well as the five race groups: white, black, Asian, Hispanic and North American Native. This study will be one of the few, and the most current, to provide nationally representative information on this population, particularly among members of minority race groups. Thus, the information will be useful to the Healthy People 2010 initiative and the President's Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health by providing information for the tracking of the Healthy People 2010 Objectives for diabetes and the President's Initiative.