Diabetic Statistics
(2012 National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014 released June 10, 2014)
- 29.1 Million Americans are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (Nearly 10% Population!)
- 22 Million more Americans are undiagnosed
- 25% Americans over 65 years old have Type 2 Diabetes
- In 2010, 86 million people over 20 years of age have Pre-Diabetes
- In 2012, 1.7 million new cases were reported
Diabetic Complications
Type 2 Diabetes is certainly commmon, affecting nearly 30% of the American population in some capacity. But why do we care? What’s the fuss? Unfortunately diabetes has numerous major life-threatening consequences given enough years or when ignored.
- Hypoglycemia: In 2011, about 282,000 emergency room visits for adults aged 18 years or older had hypoglycemia (LOW BLOOD SUGAR) as the first-listed diagnosis and diabetes as another diagnosis.
- Hypertension: In 2009–2012, of adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes, 71% had blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 millimeters of mercury or used prescription medications to lower high blood pressure.
- CVD Death Rates: In 2003–2006, after adjusting for population age differences, cardiovascular disease death rates were about 1.7 times higher among adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes.
- Heart Attack Rates: In 2010, hospitalization rates for heart attack were 1.8 times higher among adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes.
- Stroke: In 2010, hospitalization rates for stroke were 1.5 times higher among adults with diagnosed diabetes aged 20 years or older compared to those without diagnosed diabetes.
- Blindness and Eye Problems: In 2005–2008, of adults with diabetes aged 40 years or older, 4.2 million (28.5%) people had diabetic retinopathy, damage to the small blood vessels in the retina that may result in loss of vision.
- Kidney Disease: Diabetes was listed as the primary cause of kidney failure in 44% of all new cases in 2011.
-
- In 2011, 49,677 people of all ages began treatment for kidney failure due to diabetes.
- In 2011, a total of 228,924 people of all ages with kidney failure due to diabetes were living on chronic dialysis or with a kidney transplant.
- Amputations: In 2010, about 73,000 lower-limb amputations were performed in adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes.
-
- About 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations among people aged 20 years or older occur in people with diagnosed diabetes.
– See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/?referrer=https://www.google.com/#sthash.frAjP0Zh.dpuf
Diabetic Good News
At Future Focus Family Medicine we believe that diabetes doesn’t have to be a death sentence! The sobering statistics I listed above serve as a reminder of the magnitude of the problem.
My clinical experience however reveals that with SPECIFIC lifestyle interventions can make enormous changes for individuals willing to explore those options.
My mother grew up on a farm and ate healthy. Then she embraced the easier life of fast food (back then tv dinners and other ‘convenient’ foods. I grew up with this convenient diet. My mother developed diabetes and all it’s insidious consequences. I hope she is in heaven now smiling as I embrace the way my grandmother cooked. I only wish she hadn’t bought the big lie from the big food manufacturers! I am now returning to healthy, God made food, and no longer ‘drinking the Kool aide’ that fast food and big food companies have given to America.
Amen Lois. Spread the word. Eat fresh, local, and produce your own if possible. Good fats aren’t bad and grain/sugar was never intended to be eaten in the quantity or form we eat in the modern diet.
I’m currently working to make quality food more accessible in our community. Eggs, meat, veggies, etc. If your interested, I’ll send you a link that will keep you in the loop for the Corpus Christi Area?
Please send me the link to the quality food in our community.
Thank You