Women Feel the Strain of the Diabetes Burden

Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both.

Among those with diabetes, women represent a significant portion of the diabetes burden. More than 9 million women have diabetes, putting them at risk for complications such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney disease and lower-limb extremity amputations.

Of the 9 million women with diabetes, one-third does not know they have it. In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes among women has increased significantly. From 1980 – 2005, diabetes among women increased 76%.

While diabetes generally affects mostly older adults, recent data has demonstrated a higher diabetes burden for female youths aged 19 years and younger. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study – the first of its kind to examine the increasing prevalence of diabetes among youths – found that females in this age group have a higher incidence rate for diabetes than their male counterparts.

Minority women are especially burdened by diabetes. Among non-white women, diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death. The lifetime risk for diabetes for people born in the U.S. is 1 of 3; however, the risk is 1 in 2 for Hispanic women.

Gestational Diabetes

While most types of diabetes can occur in men or women, gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first seen during pregnancy.

A form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed in some women during pregnancy, gestational diabetes occurs more frequently among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians. It is also more common among obese women and women with a family history of diabetes.

During pregnancy, gestational diabetes requires treatment to normalize maternal blood glucose levels to avoid complications in the infant.

Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20% to 50% chance of developing diabetes in the next 5–10 years.

Ways Women Can Help Prevent Diabetes

Prediabetes is a condition that raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and eye disease.

People with prediabetes have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or both—conditions where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Progression to diabetes among those with prediabetes is not inevitable. Recent studies have shown that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 times a week.

Diabetes Management and Control

Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.

• Talk to your health care provider about how to manage your blood glucose (A1C), blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Learning how to eat right is an important part of controlling your diabetes. Food such as fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, chicken or turkey without the skin, dry peas or beans, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheese are recommended as part of a healthy diet. Eating the right portions of healthy foods is also important.

• Engage in physical activity for 30 – 60 minutes on most days of the week. Physical activity can help you control your blood glucose, weight, and blood pressure, as well as raise your "good" cholesterol and lower your "bad" cholesterol.

• Stay at a healthy weight.

• Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Call your doctor immediately if you have sores that will not heal.

• Check your blood glucose and take medicines the way you doctor tells you to.

• Get routine care. See your health care team at least twice a year to find and treat problems.

Diabetes Education and Resources

The National Public Health Initiative on Diabetes and Women's Health – co-sponsored by CDC – was developed for the purpose of creating and implementing a national public health action plan to address the specific impact of diabetes on women's health and to collaborate with organizations from the public, private, and voluntary sectors to intervene on behalf of women with or at risk for diabetes. Within the action plan, 10 priority action steps intend to improve the lives of women with or at risk for diabetes.

The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a joint initiative between CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers a wide range of resources around three major public education campaigns, including "It's Never Too Early to Prevent Diabetes. A Lifetime of Small Steps for a Healthy Family." This tip sheet provides guidance for women with a history of gestational diabetes to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and help their children lower their risk for the disease.

CDC's Office of Women's Health works to inform women, public health practitioners, workplace health and safety professionals, health care providers, and others about matters related to women's health; communicates information and research findings to raise awareness about issues and populations with public health needs; and participates in campaigns and other activities to encourage healthful behaviors by women. It also supports a wide range of programs that address the health needs of women at various stages of life and from various racial, cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and seeks innovative ways to improve the health and safety of women.

For More Information

• Diabetes
• Diabetes Prevention
• Staying Healthy with Diabetes
• Diabetes and Pregnancy
• CDC Office of Women's Health
• National Diabetes Education Program
• National Women's Health Week, US Department of Health and Human Services
• National Public Health Initiative on Diabetes and Women's Health
• Women and Diabetes (9:31 mins)
• Diabetes and Pregnancy: Gestational Diabetes, ( 4:35 mins)