Ethnic disparities and trends in glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. from 1988 to 2002.

T ight blood glucose control has been shown to effectively reduce the incidence of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients (1). The American Diabetes Association recommends that patients with diabetes maintain an HbA1c (A1C) level of 7% (2). Our findings, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, indicate that from 1999 to 2000, only 36% of adults with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. met this glycemic control goal (3). The current report updates our previous findings of trends in glycemic control from NHANES III (1988 –1994) to NHANES 1999 – 2002. We also appraise the current status of ethnic disparities in diabetes control by examining whether ethnic differences in glycemic control exist among adults aged 20 years with type 2 diabetes in the U.S.