One in Every Four Older Americans Now Diagnosed with
Diabetes
Three million increase in two years pushes total in
US to 24 million
Diagnosed
Diabetes by Age, United States, 19802005
From 1980
through 2005, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes increased in
all age groups. In general, throughout the time period, people
aged 65-74 years had the highest prevalence, followed by people
aged 75 or older, people aged 45-64 years, and people less than
45 years of age. In 2005, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes
among people aged 65-74 (18.5%) was about 12 times that of
people less than 45 years of age (1.4%). Click chart for
larger view
June 30, 2008 Last week new statistics on
diabetes were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) that showed 24 million in the U.S. now have diabetes 8 percent
of the population. What was buried deeper in the news release was the
staggering statistic that almost 25 percent of the population age 60 and
older had diabetes in 2007.
And, this situation is getting worse. The U.S. saw
an increase of 3 million cases in just two years.
In addition to the 24 million with diabetes,
another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a
condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes. Among people
with diabetes, those who do not know they have the disease decreased
from 30 percent to 25 percent over a two-year period.
Diabetes is a disease associated with high levels
of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production that
causes sugar to build up in the body. It is the seventh leading cause of
death in the country and can cause serious health complications
including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity
amputations.
Among adults, diabetes increased in both men and
women and in all age groups, but still disproportionately affects the
elderly one out of four now has it.
Distribution of
Age at Diagnosis of Diabetes among Adult Incident Cases Aged
1879 Years, United States, 2005
In 2005, about one half (47%) of
the adult incident cases (i.e., cases diagnosed within past
year) of diabetes were diagnosed between the age of 45 and 59
years. About 10% were diagnosed before the age of 35 and about
18% were diagnosed at age 65 or older. Click graphic for
larger view.
Annual Number (in
Thousands) of New Cases of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults Aged
18-79 Years, United States, 19802005
From 1980 through 2005, the number
of adults aged 18-79 with newly diagnosed diabetes almost
tripled from 493,000 in 1980 to 1.4 million in 2005 in the
United States. Click graphic for larger view.
Percentage of
Adults with Diabetes Reporting Poor Mental Health, Poor Physical
Health, Poor Mental or Physical Health, and Inability to Do
Usual Activities at Least One Day in the Past 30 Days, United
States, 2004
In 2004, 35% of U.S. adults with
diabetes reported at least one day of poor mental health in the
past 30 days; 54.5% reported at least one day of poor physical
health; 63.1% reported at least one day of either poor mental or
physical health; and 26.5% reported at least one day of both
poor mental and physical health. Also, 32.8% of adults with
diabetes were unable to perform their usual activities at least
one day in the past month due to either poor mental or physical
health. Click graphic for larger view.
And, as in previous years, disparities exist among
ethnic groups and minority populations including Native Americans,
blacks and Hispanics. After adjusting for population age differences
between the groups, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among
Native Americans and Alaska Natives (16.5 percent). This was followed by
blacks (11.8 percent) and Hispanics (10.4 percent), which includes rates
for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and
Cubans (8.2 percent). By comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was
7.5 percent with whites at 6.6 percent.
The data are an update of diabetes prevalence
estimates last reported two years ago and now published in the 2007
National Diabetes Fact Sheet developed by CDC in collaboration with
multiple agencies under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
and other federal agencies.
These new estimates have both good news and bad
news, said Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes
Translation.
It is concerning to know that we have more people
developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of
increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are
at high risk. On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are
aware that they have diabetes. That is an indication that our efforts to
increase awareness are working, and more importantly, that more people
are better prepared to manage this disease and its complications.
CDC also is releasing estimates of diagnosed
diabetes for all counties in the United States. Derived from the
agency's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and census
data, the estimates provide a clearer picture of areas within states
that have higher diabetes rates. Nationally, the data indicate increased
diabetes rates in areas of the Southeast and Appalachia that have
traditionally been recognized as being at higher risk for many chronic
diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
These data are an important step in identifying
the places in a state that have the greatest number of people affected
by diabetes, said Dr.Albright. If states know which communities or
areas have more people with diabetes, they can use that information to
target their efforts or tailor them to meet the needs of specific
communities.
CDC, through its Division of Diabetes Translation,
funds diabetes prevention and control programs in all 50 states, as well
as the District of Columbia and eight U.S. territories and island
jurisdictions. The National Diabetes Education Program, co-sponsored by
CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides diabetes
education to improve the treatment and outcomes for people with
diabetes, promote early diagnosis, and prevent or delay the onset of
diabetes.
For more information on diabetes, please visit
www.cdc.gov/diabetes. To access the National Diabetes Fact Sheet and
county-level estimates of diagnosed diabetes, click on the "data and
trends" link at the left.
About Diabetes
Also called: Adult onset diabetes, Non-insulin
dependent diabetes, Sugar
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose,
or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat.
Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give
them energy. With Type
1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. With Type 2 diabetes,
the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well.
Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood.
Over time, having too much glucose in your blood
can cause serious
problems. It can damage your eyes,kidneys,
and nerves.
Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to
remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational
diabetes.
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue,
thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people
have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise,
weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your
diabetes. You should also monitor your glucose level and take medicine
if prescribed.
