Diabetes is a potentially dangerous condition that is characterized by elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Some diabetes statistics provide a better understanding of how prevalent the disease has become.
Statistics are often used to show how prevalent a condition is. Some statistics about diabetes say that the cases of diabetes has doubled in the past thirty years.
It is estimated that over twenty million Americans have diabetes. That is roughly seven percent of the population of the United States. Some experts believe that seven million Americans have diabetes and have never been diagnosed or treated for the condition.
Pre-diabetes is a precursor to diabetes. Pre-diabetes affects up to forty million Americans and quite possibly more.
Diabetes is slightly more common in men than women. Almost twelve percent of men over the age of twenty have diabetes. About ten percent of women over the age of twenty have diabetes.
Insulin is produced in the pancreas for glucose metabolism. Insulin is necessary for the body to use glucose as a source of energy. Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce enough insulin.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells of the body become resistant to the insulin that is produced by the pancreas. The insulin is no longer effective for glucose metabolism.
Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed during childhood while type 2 diabetes typically develops during adulthood. Only five percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Some statistics about diabetes report who is at high risk for developing the disorder. Statistics show that people who are over the age of forty-five are at the greatest risk for developing diabetes, but there is an increase in cases of diabetes in young adults.
Some races have a higher incidence of diabetes. There is an increased risk among Asian Americans, African-Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Native Alaskans.
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure. Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes. Up to seventy percent of people with diabetes have some nerve damage.
Due to nerve and blood vessel damage from diabetes, some diabetic patients develop wounds on the feet that will not heal properly. In some cases, these become infected or even become gangrene.
The foot injury or ulcer may necessitate an amputation of the toe, foot, or leg. Fifty percent of amputations in the United States are due to diabetes.
The annual medical costs of diabetes in the United States is $116 billion. Another estimated $58 billion in diabetes costs are due to premature death and disability.
Therefore the total costs of diabetes in the United States is estimated at $174 billion a year. People with diabetes spend 2.3 times the amount of money in medical costs than people without diabetes.