CDC estimates that 29 million people in US live with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and that a staggering 86 million more have prediabetes! Total US population is approximately 320 million.

Nationwide, diabetes rates increased from 5.5% in 1990 to 7.7% in 2016. In states like Kerela, Tamil Nadu & Punjab, prevalence exceeds 10.5%. Prevalence in cities like Delhi and Chennai is estimated at a whopping 25% and 23%, respectively. An additional 48% and 38%, respectively, are estimated to have prediabetes.

A whopping 23% of South Asians in USA have diabetes! This is twice the prevalence in non-Hispanic white population in USA.

For general US population, diabetes screening is done at BMI ≥ 25, which is the lower threshold for Overweight category. However, for Asian Americans, American Diabetes Association (ADA) lowered the threshold for testing from 25 to 23, which is within Normal BMI range! Why? Turns out that a large percentage of Asian Americans with Normal BMI (in range 18.5 to 24.9) actually have diabetes. Moreover, a large percentage of such diabetics and prediabetics remains undiagnosed.