• Damage to the small blood vessels of the body, potentially leading to serious damage to the eyes, including blindness; the kidneys, including kidney failure; and damage to the blood vessels and nerves in the legs and feet, sometimes leading to the need for amputations; and

• Damage to the large blood vessels, potentially leading to heart attacks and strokes.

Who’s Affected by Diabetes?

According to the most recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 24 million Americans with diabetes.  Of the people that have diabetes about 1 in 4 of them is undiagnosed, and thus unaware of having diabetes.  Another 57 million adults are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet in the range for a diagnosis of diabetes.  Almost all people with pre-diabetes are unaware they have it.  People with pre-diabetes are at very high risk of developing diabetes in the future.  (Click here for a link to the CDC’s National Diabetes Fact Sheet.)

As people grow older, they are more likely to be at risk for or have diabetes.  Based on a recent study by scientists affiliated with the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and published in Diabetes Care, it is estimated that among people ages 65 and older:

• 32% (three of every ten) have diabetes, and about half of these individuals are undiagnosed, and thus unaware they have diabetes; and

• Another 40% (four of every ten) have pre-diabetes.  (Click here for a link to this study.)

These statistics point out the need for the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project and why adults 65 and older need to be screened for diabetes.

There Is Good News

Despite the gloomy statistics, there is a lot of good news in the fight against diabetes.

First, there is scientific proof that diabetes can often be prevented or significantly delayed.  Studies have consistently shown that people with pre-diabetes can reduce their chances of developing diabetes by as much as 58 percent by losing relatively small amounts of weight and increasing their physical activity levels to the equivalent of walking for 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.  Surprisingly to many scientists was the fact that adults 60 years of age and older in one of these studies reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 71 percent.  (Click here for a link to information about the Diabetes Prevention Program research study.)

Second, there is a growing body of evidence that if people with diabetes are diagnosed and treated early in the progression of their disease, they can greatly reduce their chances of suffering the serious health problems that can be associated with diabetes.

If you are interested in learning more “facts and figures” about diabetes, please click on the “Diabetes Information” tab on the home page.