The Facts About Diabetes: America’s Seventh Leading Cause of Death
- What is diabetes?
- How many Americans have diabetes and pre-diabetes?
- What is the prevalence of diabetes by type?
- What is the prevalence of diabetes by gender?
- What is the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes by age?
- What is the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in youth?
- What is the prevalence of diabetes by race/ethnicity?
- How many deaths are linked to diabetes?
- How much does diabetes cost the nation?
- Additional resources
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. 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.
How many Americans have diabetes and pre-diabetes?
- 23.6 million Americans have diabetes — 7.8 percent of the U.S. population. Of these, 5.7 million do not know they have the disease.
- Each year, about 1.6 million people ages 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes.
- The number of people diagnosed with diabetes has risen from 1.5 million in 1958 to 17.9 million in 2007, an increase of epidemic proportions.
- It is estimated that 57 million adults aged 20 and older have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Studies have shown that by losing weight and increasing physical activity people can prevent or delay pre-diabetes from progressing to diabetes.
- View the CDC’s 2007 National Diabetes Statistic website.
What is the prevalence of diabetes by type?
- Type 1 (previously called insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset) diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
- Type 2 (previously called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents.
- Gestational diabetes affects about 7 percent of all pregnancies, resulting in more than 200,000 cases annually.
What is the prevalence of diabetes by gender?
- 12.0 million men have diabetes (11.2 percent of all men ages 20 years and older).
- 11.5 million women have diabetes (10.2 percent of all women ages 20 years and older).
What is the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes by age?
- 23.5 million Americans ages 20 or older have diabetes — 10.7 percent of this age group.
- 12.2 million Americans ages 60 or older have diabetes — 23.1 percent of this age group.
- Read more facts about diabetes and older adults.
What is the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in youth?
- 186,300 people under age 20 have type 1 and type 2 diabetes — 0.2 percent of this age group.
- Learn more about diabetes and youth.
What is the prevalence of diabetes by race/ethnicity?
- Diabetes epidemic among African Americans - 3.7 million; 14.7 percent of all non-Hispanic blacks aged twenty and older have diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes.
- Diabetes epidemic among Hispanics/Latinos - 10.4 percent of Hispanics/Latinos ages 20 or older have diagnosed diabetes.
- Diabetes epidemic among American Indians and Alaska Natives - About 16.5 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 20 years and older who are served by the Indian Health Service have diagnosed diabetes
- Diabetes epidemic among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders - The rate of diagnosed diabetes in Asian Americans is 7.5 percent. However, prevalence data for diabetes among Pacific Islanders is limited.
How many deaths are linked to diabetes?
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes — about 68 percent die of heart disease or stroke.
- The overall risk for death among people with diabetes is about double that of people without diabetes.
How much does diabetes cost the nation?
- Total health care and related costs for the treatment of diabetes run about $174 billion annually.
- Of this total, direct medical costs (e.g., hospitalizations, medical care, treatment supplies) account for about $116 billion.
The other $58 billion covers indirect costs such as disability payments, time lost from work, and premature death.
