To the Editor: The review by Dr Chan and colleagues1 provided a timely reminder of the increasing burden of diabetes among Asians. It is also important to note that diabetes prevalence is high within the growing Asian diaspora. Asian immigrant populations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada are increasing rapidly. For example, between 1980 and 2007 the US Asian population increased almost 5-fold, from 3.5 million to more than 15.2 million.2 The relatively small number of Asian Americans included in the US Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) precludes an accurate estimate of diabetes prevalences in Asian individuals as well as within Asian subgroups.
Chan et al1 noted that the diabetes epidemic in Asia is heterogeneous, with a relatively wide variation among countries. The Asian American population is equally diverse in terms of national origin, as well as the cultural, dietary, and lifestyle factors that are important determinants of diabetes risk. This heterogeneity is likely even more pronounced within its immigrant Asian population. Unfortunately, no studies have yet evaluated this issue in the United States, and larger epidemiological studies with adequate representation of different Asian subgroups may provide a unique opportunity to explore the interaction of genetics and environment as determinant of diabetes risk.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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