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Facts About Diabetes in the United States

Prevalence

The total prevalence of diabetes in the United States in 2005 was 20.8 million people—7.0% of the population, with most of those having type 2 diabetes. 14.6 million are diagnosed with diabetes. Significant portions, 6.2 million, are undiagnosed diabetics. Diabetes is increasingly common in advanced age but is also becoming more common in younger individuals.

Incidence

1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005.

Deaths

Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2002.

Global Facts About Diabetes

There are 194 million people with diabetes worldwide. Without any interventions, the number will exceed 333 million by 2025.

According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas 2nd edition, in 2003 the five countries with the largest numbers of persons with diabetes were India (35.5 million), China (23.8 million), the United States (16 million), Russia (9.7 million) and Japan (6.7 million). Diabetes is the fourth main cause of death in most developed countries.

Diabetes increased by one-third during the 1990s, due to the prevalence of obesity and an aging population. By 2025, the number of people with diabetes is expected to more than double in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, and South-East Asia, and rise by 20% in Europe, 50% in North America, 85% in South and Central America and 75% in the Western Pacific.
The devastating complications of diabetes, such as heart disease, renal failure, blindness, and amputations are imposing a huge burden on healthcare services world-wide.  It is estimated that diabetes accounts for between 5% and 10% of a nation's health budget.

Significant reductions of economic and human costs of diabetes are possible by investing in prevention, particularly early detection, in order to avoid the onset of diabetic complications. An estimated 25% of the world's nations have not made any specific provision for diabetes care in national health plans.

What is Diabetes?

ADA Short Film: “What Is Diabetes” (19 sec.)

How Insulin Works

ADA Short Film: “Insulin The Movie” (49 sec.)

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is caused by an auto-immune destruction of beta-cells in the pancreas leading to absolute insulin deficiency. It usually affects younger people, but can happen at any age. It affects 1 million people in the United States.

ADA Short Film: “Type 1 Diabetes” (27 sec.)

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is caused by progressive insulin secretory defect in the setting of increasing insulin resistance. The risk of having type 2 diabetes is higher in those with a family history, suggesting a strong genetic component. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases in those with peripheral or central obesity, advancing age, and lack of physical activity. It can also be found more commonly in women with history of gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can also be part of a cluster of other disorders such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity known as “metabolic syndrome” which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 90 to 95% of the diabetes in the U.S. is type 2 diabetes.

ADA Short Film: “Type 2 Diabetes” (27 secs.)

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance during pregnancy.  GDM is believed to be caused by increasing insulin requirement during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. Maternal insulin resistance increases as human placental lactogen levels increase. If a pregnant woman can not increase insulin secretion, glucose intolerance develops. GDM can lead to perinatal morbidity such as fetal macrosomia and increased cesarean section rates, increased risk of pregnancy induced hypertension and future development of type 2 diabetes.

 

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