The trends in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among young black adults and Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaska Native

White people have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who are black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaska Native.

The new study, published this month in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care, used data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, which is funded by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health.

This research should serve as a wake-up call for us all. In a statement, Dr. Houry said it was crucial that we focused our efforts to ensure all Americans were healthiest.

In addition to heart disease, the trends indicate more young adults are at a greater risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure — potentially fatal and lifetime health concerns, according to the study.

The authors of the study said their findings highlight the need to step up public health and clinical intervention efforts that are focused on preventative measures for young adults.

The prevalence of hypertension in young Black adults was “more than 2 times higher than in all other racial and ethnic groups, with no improvement over the study period,” the researchers found. This can in part lead to high rates of stroke, heart failure and hypertensive kidney disease, they said.

Structural racism is likely to be the cause of the trends among black people, according to the study. The authors suggested ways to address the health gaps, such as pharmacist-led interventions, large-scale health system initiatives that screen for and treat blood pressure for young Black adults, and more green space for regular exercise.