Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether racial differences in HbA1c persist in older adults (≥65 years) living with type 2 diabetes. Data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2014 were used to examine the association between HbA1c and older adults (≥65 years) over time. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Mexican Americans had the greatest difference in average HbA1c among minority groups, followed by those with unspecified/mixed ethnicities and non-Hispanic Blacks. In the adjusted linear model, racial minorities had a statistically significant relationship with HbA1c. There was no relationship between HbA1c and older age and insulin use. Trends in mean HbA1c over time increased for non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican Americans and decreased for non-Hispanic Whites. The findings suggest that racial differences in HbA1c persist into older age and compared to non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican Americans are at an increased risk of morbidity, mortality, and disability due to high HbA1c. Furthermore, alternate measures of glycemic control may be needed to screen and manage T2DM in racial minorities.
Document Type
Review
Publication Date
2-4-2020
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030950
Funding Information
This research was funded in part by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (5R01MD013826, PI: Egede) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (5K24DK093699, PI: Egede; 5R01DK118038, PI: Egede; 1R01DK120861, PI: Egede; 5K01DK116923; PI: Smalls). The APC was funded by the Department of Family and Community Medicine within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Repository Citation
Smalls, Brittany L.; Ritchwood, Tiarney D.; Bishu, Kinfe G.; and Egede, Leonard E., "Racial/Ethnic Differences in Glycemic Control in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: United States 2003-2014" (2020). Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications. 9.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/familymedicine_facpub/9
Notes/Citation Information
Published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, v. 17, issue 3, 950 p. 1-10.
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).