(All information about diabetes taken from the web site of the American Diabetes Association at http://www.diabetes.org)
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for everyday life activities. The cause of diabetes is unknown, although both genetics and factors such as obesity and lack of exercise seem to play roles. There are two major types of diabetes:
Type 1
An autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce any insulin, most often occurring in children and young adults. Persons with Type 1 Diabetes must take daily insulin injections to stay alive. Type 1 Diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes.
Type 2
A metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It is the most common form of diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions, due to an increased number of older persons, and a greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles among Americans today.
Gestational Diabetes develops in 2 percent to 5 percent of all pregnancies or in women who have had a baby weighing 9 pounds or more at birth but disappears when a pregnancy is over. Women who have had Gestational Diabetes are at increased risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes is more common among these ethnic groups:
Other specific types of diabetes result from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections and other illnesses.
Q: Who is at greater risk for Type 1 Diabetes?
A: Siblings of people with Type 1 Diabetes and children of parents with Type 1 Diabetes.
Q: Who is at greater risk for Type 2 Diabetes?
A: People over age 45; people with a family history of diabetes; people who are overweight and people who do not exercise regularly; people with low HDL or high triglycerides; certain racial and ethnic groups (e.g., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian-Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans); women who had Gestational Diabetes.
There are 15.7 million people or 5.9 percent of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 10.3 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 5.4 million people are not aware that they have the disease. Each day approximately 2,200 people are diagnosed with diabetes. About 798,000 people will be diagnosed this year.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death (sixth-leading cause of death by disease) in the United States. Based on death certificate data, diabetes contributed to more than 187,000 deaths in 1995. Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure. Diabetes is a Silent Killer
Many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its life-threatening complications.
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people ages 20 to 74. Each year, from 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 40 percent of new cases. In 1995, approximately 27,900 people initiated treatment for end stage renal disease (kidney failure) because of diabetes.
About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which, in severe forms, can lead to lower limb amputations. Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. The risk of a leg amputation is 15 to 40 times greater for a person with diabetes. Each year, more than 56,000 amputations are performed among people with diabetes.
People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease which is present in 75 percent of diabetes-related deaths (more than 77,000 deaths due to heart disease annually). And, they are 2 to 4 times more likely to suffer a stroke.
Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most costly health problems in America. Health care and other costs directly related to the treatment of diabetes, as well as the costs of lost productivity, run $92 billion annually. Some estimates run as high as $138 billion, which includes all health-care costs incurred by people with diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes:
Type 2 Diabetes:
*Often people with Type 2 Diabetes have no symptoms.
For more information, you can contact the American Diabetes Association at (800) 342-2383.