Worldwide Diabetes Statistics

Diabetes can be brought on by several factors: genetics, environment and nutrition. It is a metabolic medical condition that affects blood glucose control of the person experiencing diabetes mellitus.

For anyone to fully understand how to control diabetes, or the impact that the disease has in the community, you have to look closely at some diabetes statistics.

• According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) 7% of the population in the United States has diabetes which is 2% higher than the world population statistic of 5%.  0.22% of these people are less than 20 years old.
• The NIH estimates that 6.2 million people have undiagnosed diabetes.
• Of men and women older than 20 years there are more men who suffer from the disease than women.  10.5% of all men and 8.8% of all women experience the condition.
• In 2005 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed in the U.S. and a new 7 million are diagnosed world wide.
  If present trends continue 1 in 3 people born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
• In 2002 diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. based on causes listed on death certificates.
• The NIH estimates that diabetes is underreported as a cause of death in the United States.
• The risk for stroke is 2-4 times higher in people with diabetes; it is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people between 20 and 74; 73% of adults with diabetes have high blood pressure; diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.
• 30% of people with diabetes have impaired sensation in their lower extremities; and severe form is the major contributing cause of lower extremity amputations.  In 2002 82,000 non-traumatic lower limb amputations were performed on people with diabetes.
• 1/3 of people with diabetes have severe periodontal disease.
• People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing diseases and once contracted have a higher incidence of death from those diseases.  For instance people with diabetes are at higher risk of death if they contract influenza or pneumonia.
• The total annual economic cost in 2002 was estimated to be 132 billion dollars.
• Diabetes accounts for 11% of the annual medicals costs in the U.S.  In 2002 people with diabetes had medical costs 2.4 times greater than if they didn’t have the disease.
• Diabetes related hospitalizations totaled 16.9 million days in 2002.
• In 2002 diabetes accounted for 88 million days lost to disability.
• In 2002 176,000 cases of permanent disability were reported that were caused directly, or indirectly, by diabetes. Total cost - $7.5 billion

What do these statistics tell us? They warn us that if you have diabetes you need to carefully watch what you eat and closely monitor your insulin.

If you don’t have diabetes, or have not been diagnosed with it, as you age get tested for it. Watch your blood sugar level. Eat healthy, limit your sugar intake, and keep your weight at a healthy level.