Over 29 million Americans(1) have Diabetes. That’s about 1 out of 11 people living in the United States. The problem is especially severe among Black Americans. 13.2% of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes(2). African Americans are 1.7 times more likely to get diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. The United States Office of Minority Health states that Black Americans are more likely to suffer complications from diabetes, such as end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations(3).
Diabetes raises your risk of developing Heart Disease and Stroke(4)
- Women with diabetes have a 40% greater risk of developing heart disease and a 25% greater risk of stroke than men with diabetes do. Experts aren’t sure why the risk is so much greater in women with diabetes than in men with diabetes. Women’s biology may play a role: Women usually have more body fat, which can put them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke. If you are a woman with diabetes, you can take steps to control your condition and improve your chances of avoiding heart disease and stroke.
- Almost 7 in 10 people with diabetes over age 65 will die of some type of heart disease. About 1 in 6 will die of stroke. People with diabetes have very high blood sugar, which causes damage to nerves and blood vessels. Over time, this can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and even blindness. People with diabetes are more likely to develop and die from heart disease or stroke.
- Diabetes is the seventh leading killer of Americans. In 2014, more than 76,000 people in the United States died from diabetes. But diabetes often contributes to deaths from other causes, including heart disease, the leading killer of Americans. On average, a 50-year-old with diabetes will die six years earlier than someone without diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes among young people is on the rise. So is obesity. Type 2 diabetes was once thought to be a condition that developed only in older adults. Now, because obesity is prevalent at all ages, type 2 diabetes is becoming a problem for people of all ages. This includes children and especially children of certain racial and ethnic groups, such as blacks and Hispanics. Young people with diabetes are typically overweight or obese and have a family history of diabetes. Young people who have prediabetes or diabetes are more likely to develop other disorders, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Read the new National Diabetes Statistics Report(5), 2014 and Diabetes At A Glance 2016(6) for the latest information about diabetes.
Prediabetes is a Major Problem
Obesity is now common at all ages; type 2 diabetes is becoming a problem for people of all ages.
86 million Americans(7) aged 20 years or older had prediabetes in 2010 according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prediabetes is a condition that your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Jay Harold has a post “Prediabetes: Am I at risk?” that can help you prevent or delay diabetes.
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Bibliography
- http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/index.html
- http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/high-risk-populations/treatment-african-americans.html
- http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=18
- http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetes-heart-disease/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf
- http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/diabetes.htm
- http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/prediabetes-infographic.pdf
