Important Facts About Diabetes

Today, more than 13 million people in the United States have diabetes. Unfortunately, more than half are not aware that they have the disease.

Every 60 seconds at least one person is diagnosed with diabetes. About 65,000 people will be diagnosed this year.

Diabetes is the fourth-leading cause of death by disease in the United States; this year, more than 160,000 will die from this disease and its related complications.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure.

Diabetes is a Silent Killer.

Many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its life-threathing complications.

• BLINDNESS. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people ages 25-74. Each year, from 15,000 to 39,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes.
  
  
• KIDNEY DISEASE. Ten percent of all people with diabetes develop kidney disease. In 1990, more then 13,000 people initiated treatment for end stage renal disease (kidney failure) because of diabetes.
  
  
• AMPUTATIONS. Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. The risk of leg amputation is 27.7 times greater for a person with diabetes. Each year, 54,000 people lose their foot or leg to diabetes.
  
• HEART DISEASE AND STROKE. People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease (more than 77,000 deaths due to heart disease annually). And, they are 5 times more likely to suffer a stroke, with more than 11,000 deaths each year.

Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes

Diabetes is a major health problem. Health care and related costs for treatment, as well as the cost of lost productivity, run nearly $92 billion annually.

Who is at Risk?

• OVER 30 AND OVERWEIGHT, AND/OR FAMILY HISTORY. Anyone is at risk who is over 30 years of age and overweight, and/or have a family history of diabetes.
  
  
• WOMEN WITH HIGH BIRTH WEIGHT BABY. Women who have had a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth are at risk.

In addition, your risk increases if you are a member of one the following ethnic groups:

• AFRICAN AMERICANS. African Americans are 1.6 times as likely to have diabetes as the general population. An estimated 2 million African Americans have diabetes.
  
  
• HISPANICS. Hispanics are more than twice as likely to have diabetes. It is estimated that more than 1 million Hispanics in the United States have diabetes.
  
  
• NATIVE AMERICAN. Native Americans as a group are 2.7 times as likely to have diabetes as the general population.