WILMINGTON — Following nearly two years of reduced physical activity due to COVID-19, statistics show prediabetes rates are on the rise.

Currently, 88 million American adults — more than one in three — have prediabetes but less than 16% know they have it. In Delaware, over one-quarter of adults have or are at high risk for diabetes, and more than 127,000 Delawareans have prediabetes.

With new cases of diabetes and prediabetes increasing in Delaware, the YMCA has expanded the availability of its Diabetes Prevention Program to include programs in Spanish as well as distance and hybrid learning options.

“There are so many Delawareans at risk for developing diabetes, and we know that healthy lifestyle changes can cut this risk significantly. This is why it is so important for us to continue delivering chronic disease prevention programs here in Delaware. Expanding these services to our Spanish-speaking neighbors and to those who are not able to physically visit the Y will allow us to reach and positively impact the lives of more people than ever,” said Kat Luebke, community health integration program director.

Each year, 2.5% of people with prediabetes will convert to diabetes. In addition to the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, people with prediabetes are also at risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Type 2 diabetes is preventable, and the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program aims to help Delawareans reverse their prediabetes.

For more information about how to qualify for access to the Diabetes Prevention Program, contact the YMCA’s Healthy Living Department at 302-572-9622 or healthyliving@ymcade.org. Information can also be found online at ymcade.org/preventdiabetes.

Diabetes facts:

Diabetes is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in Delaware, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the Hispanic population has the third highest prevalence of diabetes, with African American second and American Indian/Alaska Native first.

In 2019, among adults who do not have diagnosed diabetes, 11.8% — or more than 75,100 Delawareans — reported being told they have prediabetes, according to the Delaware Division of Health and Social Services.

The total number of Americans with prediabetes increased from 88 million to 96 million in the past three years, per the CDC.

Like other states, diabetes prevalence is increasing in Delaware. From 2003-2019, Delaware’s diabetes prevalence rose from 8% to 13%. In 2019, 13% of all Delaware adults reported that they had been diagnosed with diabetes, including 14,672 Medicaid clients and 12,369 Group Health Insurance Plan members. This estimate does not include undiagnosed Delawareans living with diabetes, a population that may include nearly 25,000 adults.

In 2017, an additional 13% of Delaware adults reported they had been diagnosed with prediabetes.

In 2019, 34% of Delaware adults were obese and an additional 35% were overweight, placing them at greater risk for diabetes. Conservatively, over one-quarter of all Delaware adults have or are at elevated risk for diabetes, according to DHSS.