Diabetes: The Numbers - Slide 2

What is Diabetes?

• Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose (blood sugar)

• Diabetes can lead to serious health problems and premature death

Note:

• Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar) which results from problems with insulin production, insulin action, or both.

• Diabetes can lead to serious problems and complications, such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and premature death. But people with diabetes can lower the occurrence of these and other diabetes complications by controlling blood glucose (sugar) blood pressure and blood lipids.

Reference

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Statistics, 2007. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 2008.