Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options
CDC Home

This page is a historical archive and is no longer maintained.

For current information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/media/

Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 27, 2000
Contact: CDC Media Relations (404) 639-3286

Facts About Diabetes

  • Nearly 16 million Americans suffer from diabetes; one third do not know they have it. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • The prevalence of diabetes-including gestational diabetes--among adults rose 33 percent between1990 and 1998. The increased rates of diabetes correlate with increased rates of obesity during the same period.
  • During the last decade, the prevalence of diabetes increased among men and women of all ages and ethnic groups and in nearly all states. Among individuals aged 30-39, the prevalence of diabetes increased 76 percent.
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults aged 20-74.
  • Approximately 65 percent of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.
  • People with diabetes have up to 4 times the rate of heart disease as people without diabetes.
  • Preventive care services can minimize diabetes-related complications such as blindness, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and amputations.
  • Preventive care is lowest among people living in the South, people with less than a high school education, and people without health insurance.
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD, i.e., chronic kidney failure). Among Native Americans, diabetes accounts for 60 percent of the new ESRD cases each year.
  • Since 1990, incidence of end-stage renal disease attributable to diabetes has increased by 24 percent among Native Americans with diabetes.
  • Type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult onset) is increasing rapidly among children and adolescents, particularly in minority populations, and may account for up to 45 percent of new cases of childhood diabetes.

###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 
CDC 24/7 – Saving Lives. Protecting People. Saving Money Through Prevention. Learn More About How CDC Works For You…
Contact Us:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    1600 Clifton Rd
    Atlanta, GA 30333
  • 800-CDC-INFO
    (800-232-4636)
    TTY: (888) 232-6348
  • Contact CDC-INFO
USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web PortalDepartment of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30329-4027, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC–INFO
A-Z Index
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. #