More than half of Californians have diabetes or prediabetes

Researchers from UCLA determined that 55 percent of California adults have either diabetes or prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetic, according to a study published Thursday. “Our genes and our environment are kind of on a collision course,” said Dr. Francine Kaufman, the former head of the American Diabetes Association, who was not involved with the research. The UCLA researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to create a model that predicts prediabetes, based on factors such as race, height and weight. [...] 2.5 million Californians have been diagnosed with diabetes, which can cause kidney failure, amputation and premature death.