Diabetes rates are expected to more than triple among adults aged 65 to 74 by the year 2050, according to new estimates from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of diabetics aged 75 and older will increase five-fold in that period, according to an expert with the CDC. Overall, 12% of the population will have diabetes, the CDC said. The report is published in the September issue of Diabetes Care.

The analysis projects the numbers, based on the assumption that the incidence of diabetes seen in 2004 will remain constant. Rising incidence rates will take a toll on healthcare costs, a CDC expert said. Older diabetics usually have several comorbidities, including poor circulation and kidney and heart problems.