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Diabetes Incidence Becoming Epidemic

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 1:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the incidence of diabetes jumped by 6% in 1999, after increasing 33% from 1990 to 1998. "This dramatic new evidence signals the unfolding of an epidemic in the United States," said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of CDC. There are now an estimated 16 million Americans with the disease, and about one-third of them do not know they have it. About 6 million people age 65 or older have diabetes, which represents about 18% of all people in this age group.

Some other facts about the disease:

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death on U.S. death certificates in 1996, and is still believed to be underreported.

Death rates are twice as high among middle-aged people with diabetes as among middle-aged people without diabetes.

Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times as high as that of adults without diabetes.

The risk of stroke is 2 to 4 times higher in people with diabetes.

An estimated 60% to 65% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old.

60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage, like impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other nerve problems.

More than half of lower limb amputations in the United States occur among people with diabetes.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the incidence of diabetes jumped by 6% in 1999, after increasing 33% from 1990 to 1998. "This dramatic new evidence signals the unfolding of an epidemic in the United States," said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of CDC. There are now an estimated 16 million Americans with the disease, and about one-third of them do not know they have it. About 6 million people age 65 or older have diabetes, which represents about 18% of all people in this age group.

Some other facts about the disease:

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death on U.S. death certificates in 1996, and is still believed to be underreported.

Death rates are twice as high among middle-aged people with diabetes as among middle-aged people without diabetes.

Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times as high as that of adults without diabetes.

The risk of stroke is 2 to 4 times higher in people with diabetes.

An estimated 60% to 65% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old.

60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage, like impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other nerve problems.

More than half of lower limb amputations in the United States occur among people with diabetes.