American Diabetes Association - Maitland, Florida

To prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fighting for the 24 million Americans affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of communities.

We are the only organization that serves all people with diabetes and all people affected by diabetes

Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes - November 6, 2010 - Loch Haven Park, Orlando
Tour de Cure cycling events - March 6, 2011 - Lake Nona
26th Annual Southern Regional Conference - May 26-29, 2011 - Orlando
Father of the Year - June 2011 - Orlando

Diabetes Facts

Data from the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet (the most recent year for which data is available)

Total: 23.6 million children and adults in the United States—7.8% of the population—have diabetes.

Diagnosed: 17.9 million people

Undiagnosed: 5.7 million people

Pre-diabetes: 57 million people

New Cases: 1.6 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older each year.

Total prevalence of diabetes

Under 20 years of age

• 186,300, or 0.22% of all people in this age group have diabetes
• About 1 in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents has type 1 diabetes
• About 2 million adolescents aged 12-19 have pre-diabetes

Age 20 years or older

• 23.5 million, or 10.7% of all people in this age group have diabetes

Age 60 years or older

• 12.2 million, or 23.1% of all people in this age group have diabetes

Men

• 12.0 million, or 11.2% of all men aged 20 years or older have diabetes

Women

• 11.5 million, or 10.2% of all women aged 20 years or older have diabetes

Race and ethnic differences in prevalence of diagnosed diabetes

After adjusting for population age differences, 2004-2006 national survey data for people diagnosed with diabetes, aged 20 years or older include the following prevalence by race/ethnicity:

• 6.6% of non-Hispanic whites
• 7.5% of Asian Americans
• 11.8% of non-Hispanic blacks
• 10.4% of Hispanics

Among Hispanics rates were:

• 8.2% for Cubans
• 11.9% for Mexican Americans
• 12.6% for Puerto Ricans.

Morbidity and Mortality

Deaths

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2006. This ranking is based on the 72,507 death certificates in 2006 in which diabetes was listed as the underlying cause of death. According to death certificate reports, diabetes contributed to a total of 233,619 deaths in 2005, the latest year for which data on contributing causes of death are available.

Complications

Heart disease and stroke

• In 2004, heart disease was noted on 68% of diabetes-related death certificates among people aged 65 years or older.
• In 2004, stroke was noted on 16% of diabetes-related death certificates among people aged 65 years or older.
• Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes.
• The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes.

High blood pressure

• In 2003–2004, 75% of adults with self-reported diabetes had blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/80 mmHg, or used prescription medications for hypertension.

Blindness

• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20–74 years.
• Diabetic retinopathy causes 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year.

Kidney disease

• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44% of new cases in 2005.
• In 2005, 46,739 people with diabetes began treatment for end-stage kidney disease in the United States and Puerto Rico.
• In 2005, a total of 178,689 people with end-stage kidney disease due to diabetes were living on chronic dialysis or with a kidney transplant in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Nervous system disease (Neuropathy)

• About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage.

Amputation

• More than 60% of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
• In 2004, about 71,000 nontraumatic lower-limb amputations were performed in people with diabetes.

Cost of Diabetes

$174 billion: Total costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2007

• $116 billion for direct medical costs
• $58 billion for indirect costs (disability, work loss, premature mortality)

After adjusting for population age and sex differences, average medical expenditures among people with diagnosed diabetes were 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association has created a Diabetes Cost Calculator that takes the national cost of diabetes data and provides estimates at the state and congressional district level.

Factoring in the additional costs of undiagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes brings the total cost of diabetes in the United States in 2007 to $218 billion.

• $18 billion for the 6.3 million people with undiagnosed diabetes
• $25 billion for the 57 million American adults with pre-diabetes
• $623 million for the 180,000 pregnancies where gestational diabetes is diagnosed