Diabetes Statistics
When you look at diabetes statistics for the United States you will find that an enormous number of people are affected by the disease. Diabetes statistics are kept by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and current numbers indicate that a total of 20.8 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes. That amounts to 7-percent of the U.S. population. Of these people with diabetes, 14.6 million have been diagnosed and 6.2 million people are not even aware that they have the disease. The CDC estimates that as many as 54 million Americans are in a state of pre-diabetes, meaning that they have higher than normal blood sugar levels but those levels are not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes. Still, each of these people is at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
There are also some interesting age-related statistics--diabetes affects 176,500 Americans under the age of twenty or 0.22%. But because of a decline in kids eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise, over two million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 have pre-diabetes. This is one of those diabetes statistics that confirms the much publicized belief that kids are spending more time inside in front of the TV or computer and less moving about in healthy outdoor activities.
The highest number of people with diabetes is in the population over age twenty--20.6 million of these have diabetes accounting for 9.6% of the population. The highest percentage within an age group to have diabetes is 20.9% of the population over age of 60. While diabetes might be more expected in this age group, it still is startling when you consider that this is a total of 10.3 million senior citizens. The CDC also keeps diabetes statistics related to sex--they have found that men are more likely to get the disease than women: 10.9 million men have diabetes, that’s 10.5% of all men over the age of 20. The numbers for women are a little lower with 9.7 million or 8.8% of American females having the disease.
Diabetes is now the fifth-highest cause of death in the United States. There has been a 45% increase in the death rate from diabetes since 1987. The number of deaths per year attributed to diabetes was 284,000 in 2007. However deaths from diabetes are thought to be much higher because diabetes significantly increases a person’s risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. Deaths in older Americans are under-reported--even such causes of death as pneumonia and influenza also have a much higher incidence in diabetics.
In addition to heart disease and stroke, diabetes causes many other problems, such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, nervous system damage, blindness, amputations, as well dental disease, sexual dysfunction, and difficulties during pregnancy. The total cost of diabetes each year in the United States is estimated to be $174 billion.--not to mention that diabetes is thought to account for an a loss of 15 million work days annually. In 2007, diabetes was responsible for 445,000 cases of employment disability.
If nothing else, all of these diabetes statistics reveal that the disease is growing at a alarming rate among Americans. Every segment of the population--children, teens, adults aged 20-60, and seniors--are seeing large increases in the disease. The best method to fight diabetes is by recognizing the symptoms early and getting diagnosis and treatment. People with diabetes can live long, healthy lives when they know what to do and make appropriate lifestyle changes.