Diabetes By the Numbers – A Scary Statistic

Diabetic using insulin to manage her symptomsExperts agree that the prevalence of diabetes around the world has hit epidemic proportions. In the United States alone, the number of people with diabetes now exceeds 25 million or 8.3% of the U.S. population. That means that one in every three Americans could have diabetes by 2050.

The Numbers

As it stands, there are nearly 26 million people who have diabetes in the United States:

  • 18.8 million diagnosed
  • 7 million undiagnosed

This doesn’t tell the whole story – as there are an estimated 79 million people  with prediabetes. This puts them at serious risk for type 2 diabetes unless they change their lifestyle habits. Unfortunately, many of these people have no clue what prediabetes is, let alone that they are at risk.

(Please take this opportunity to learn the symptoms of diabetes)

Share this information with someone in your community! Awareness is an important first step in taking action against the rising tide of diabetes.

The Costs

Diabetes clinical studies have shown that this disease has a huge impact both socially and economically. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the total cost attributed to diabetes in 2012 was $245 billion (a 41% hike from 2007).

The costs can be broken down as follows:

  • Total cost – $245 billion
  • Direct medical cost – $176 billion
  • Indirect cost – $69 billion

Robert Ratner, the chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA, recently weighed in on the situation. “The cost of diabetes is rising at a rate higher than overall medical costs with more than one in 10 health care dollars in the country being spent directly on diabetes and its complications, and more than one in five health care dollars in the U.S. going to the care of people with diagnosed diabetes.”

Common Types of Diabetes

Let’s briefly review some facts on three common types of diabetes. It’s important to understand the differences between these diseases since they have different causes and treatments.

Type 1 Diabetes:

  • 3 million Americans have T1D
  • About 80 people are diagnosed with T1D per day
  • 85% of type 1 diabetics are adults
  • 15% are children
  • Prevalence of T1D rose by 23% in youths between 2001-2009
  • Costs U.S. $14.9 billion each year in healthcare costs

Type 2 Diabetes:

  • Accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases
  • 25.8 million Americans have T2D
  • About 1 in every 8 people
  • Affects 8.3% of U.S. population

Gestational Diabetes:

  • Affects anywhere between 2-10% of pregnancies
  • Women who had gestational diabetes have a 35% to 60% chance of developing diabetes in the next 10–20 years.
  • Immediately following pregnancy, 5-10% of women with gestational diabetes develop diabetes, usually type 2.

Prevalence of Diabetes

Most people know someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes – it has reached epidemic proportions in this current age. Here’s a breakdown of the prevalence by sex and age group:

  • 13 million men (age 20 and up)
  • 12.6 million women (age 20 and up)
  • Affects 1 in 400 under the age of 20

Hopefully you have gained a good perspective on the state of diabetes in America today. We hope you’ll share this information with someone in your life who’ll benefit from this knowledge. This may provide them with the incentive to take action themselves.

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Diabetes