No End in Sight to Rapid Rise in Diabetes

Oct. 26, 2005 -- Diabetes continues to soar in the U.S., with no signs of slowing down.

By the CDC's latest count:

• Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes (7% of the U.S. population).
• More than 6 million of those people don't know they have diabetes.
  (These numbers represent an increase of 2.6 million people with diabetes since 2002.)
• An estimated 41 million Americans have "prediabetes," a condition that increases the risk of developing diabetes.

Other findings include:

• Diabetes remains the No. 6 cause of death in the U.S.
• 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed in people aged 20 and older in 2005.
• Middle-aged people (40-59s) led the new cases for adults in 2005.

The numbers appear in the CDC's 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet.

About Diabetes and Prediabetes

Most people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Their bodies have trouble using insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar. This is called insulin resistance.

In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys insulin-making cells in the pancreas.

In prediabetes, insulin isn't properly controlling blood sugar, but the problem hasn't yet lead to elevated blood sugar. Prediabetes raises the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

These conditions can be managed. People with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes can be treated with lifestyle change (such as eating habits and exercise) and/or medications.

Left untreated, elevated blood sugars can devastate the body over time. It can even be fatal.

Age, Sex, and Diabetes

Diabetes is more common among older adults, men, and minorities, according to the CDC.

The CDC's data on age and diabetes include:

• Nearly one in 10 adults aged 20 and older has diabetes. That's more than 20 million people.
• The risk increases with age. More than one in five adults aged 60 and older has diabetes.
  That's over 10 million people.
• About 176,500 people aged 20 or younger have diabetes. That's less than 1% of people in that age group.
• About one in every 400 to 600 kids or teens has type 1 diabetes.

Nationally representative data on kids and teens with type 2 diabetes isn't available from the CDC.

As for sex, more than 10% of men aged 20 and older have diabetes (nearly 11 million men). Almost 9% of women aged 20 and older have diabetes (nearly 10 million women).