UNDIAGNOSED DIABETES IN ADULTS IN THE USA AND BULGARIA: PREVALENCE AND TRENDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.5472Keywords:
Diabetes, Epidemiology, NHANES, ADA, Bulgaria, U,SAbstract
This report presents a comparative analysis of the prevalence of diabetes in the United States and Bulgaria from 2001 to 2025, focusing on differences in diagnostic criteria, methodology, and epidemiological trends. The data show a significant increase in the prevalence of total and diagnosed diabetes in the U.S., while undiagnosed cases remain relatively stable. In Bulgaria, a steady increase in prevalence is also reported, particularly among older age groups, with approximately 16.5% of the population living with diabetes. Differences in the diagnostic criteria used (ADA vs. WHO) make direct comparisons between the countries difficult. The need to establish a national epidemiological surveillance system modeled after NHANES (U.S.) is emphasized in order to more accurately monitor and prevent the disease.
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