New CDC Research Indicates Rise in Diabetes
ATLANTA – On Tuesday, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation’s leading authority on public health, announced that the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. population has recently risen to 8% – a staggering estimate of 24 million people.
Diabetes, a condition characterized by the inability of hormone producing cells within the body to properly produce or utilize insulin, is differentiated into two categories: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes, in which cells altogether fail to produce insulin accounts for only 5% to 10% of diagnosed cases. Type II diabetes, the overwhelming majority of diagnosed cases, occurs when cells cannot utilize the insulin that is produced and thus are unable to regulate levels of blood glucose. Moreover, Type II diabetes increasingly affects seniors over the age of 60 as the probability of its onset becomes more likely with older age.
There are numerous health risks and complications associated with diabetes including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. In fact, heart disease accounted for 68% of deaths among elderly patients with diabetes in 2004 while an estimated 75% of diabetic adults were considered to have high blood pressure. Other complications resulting from the improper management of diabetes may include blindness, kidney failure, and nervous system damage.
The abundance of risks associated with diabetes and the increasing prevalence of the disease in the United States necessitates patients with diabetes to aggressively manage it as effectively as possible. The management of diabetes involves establishing a healthy lifestyle regiment of diet and exercise in combination with frequent and systematic monitoring of blood sugar levels. Controlling diabetes and eliminating many of its health risks is possible and has unfortunately become a reality for millions of Americans.
Please keep in mind that this article on Diabetes is intended solely as an informational document; consult a licensed physician before making any decisions regarding the management of individual cases of diabetes.
Source: “National Diabetes Fact Sheet”
Centers for Disease Control
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