20 Diabetes Statistics Illustrating The Alarming State Of This Disease (2023)

Diabetes is known as an underlying agent for much more serious health risks, which is why keeping up with diabetes statistics and the latest breakthroughs in the field are of crucial importance. After all, many diabetes patients claim they were unaware of their condition, mainly due to a lack of proper education on the matter.

The following facts and numbers are just an outline of the condition’s massive impact, yet they’re disturbing enough to get people thinking about diabetes as the issue it has become.

10 Quick Diabetes Facts & Stats 

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Diabetes Statistics in the US

1. Diabetic prevalence in American Indians is the highest among different race and ethnicities 

Approximately 14.7% of American Indians/ Alaskan Natives have diabetes in the United States. The study also reveals that 12.5% of Hispanics and 11.7% of non-Hispanic Blacks suffer from diabetes type 1 and type 2. However, only 9.2% of Asian Americans, including Chinese, Filipinos, and Asian Indians, have diabetes countrywide.

Source: Diabetes.org

2. Facts about diabetes show that without insulin, the cells in the body starve, which leads to dehydration and body tissue destruction

It happens because insulin regulates the glucose level, which provides energy to the body's cells and tissues. Thus, the body of a person with diabetes cannot create or effectively utilize insulin to provide energy.

Source: Run For Diabetes

3. Individuals suffering from type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections for survival 

This is one of the most crucial type 1 diabetes statistics that people should be aware of. As patients with type 1 diabetes can't produce insulin, they must inject insulin into their body as recommended by the doctor to maintain the right amount of glucose level in their body.

Source: Kidshealth.org

4. Insulin therapy  is effective for type 2 diabetic patients to keep blood sugar levels in the desired range  

Among the most interesting type 2 diabetes statistics is that insulin therapy is effective for type 2 patients. This is because it helps lower glucose level in the blood and keeps it in the desired range. You must consult your doctor on the best insulin regimen that fits your lifestyle and body needs.

Source: Mayoclinic.org

5. Healthy eating and an active lifestyle can help control type 2 diabetes 

The diabetes rate in the United States also prevails because of the sedentary lifestyle. To keep type 2 diabetes at bay, physical activity and healthy eating are crucial. Thus, engage in exercise and adopt healthy eating habits to maintain blood sugar levels. Choose healthy carbohydrates, fish, rich fiber foods, and "good" fats to stay healthy and fit.

Source: NCBI

6.Diabetes is a top cause for adult blindness in the US among people aging between 20 and 74 years 

Also known as Retinopathy, the leading cause for this condition in people is diabetes in America. Retinopathy is the damage to the retina in the eyes caused by abnormal blood flow or too much sugar in the blood.

Source: Diabetes Care 

7.Individuals with diabetes suffer two to three times more from depression than those without diabetes 

Facts about diabetes also show that even though the risk and prevalence of depression in diabetic patients are more, only 25% to 50% of the patients get diagnosed and treated. However, treatment through medication, therapy, or both are much needed to overcome depression before it worsens over time.

Source: CDC

8. Approximately 67.3% of the cost for diabetes care is covered by government insurance 

This includes Medicaid, Medicare, and military insurance. However, 30.7% is paid by the private insurance companies and 2% by uninsured people.

Source: Diabetes.org

9. More than 30 million US residents have diabetes, both diagnosed and undiagnosed.

The steady rise of this disease is most evident in the United States, where an estimated 30.3 million people, or 9.4% of the entire population, have the disease. Out of these, 23.1 million have actually gone to a medical institution and have been diagnosed with the disease. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter (7.2 million people), aren’t officially diagnosed. In other words, the stats on diabetes indicate that up to 23.8% of all people with diabetes are undiagnosed.

Source: CDC

10. The annual mortality rate for diabetes is higher than that of breast cancer and AIDS combined in the US. 

Breast cancer is one of the leading health risks in women, while HIV/AIDS was once known to be unstoppable. According to the latest assessments in the US, both of these health conditions have been completely surpassed by diabetes mortality rates alone. More specifically, reports show that breast cancer has been responsible for 41,760 deaths, and HIV/AIDS took 15,820 lives in 2019, while diabetes recorded up to 83,564 deaths in 2017.

Source: American Diabetes Association

11. The more educated you are, the less likely you are to get diabetes.

A strange correlation has been discovered between the education levels of US residents and the prevalence of diabetes among different groups. Up to 12.6% of US adults with less than a high school level education have diabetes, while only 9.5% of high school-educated adults have been recorded suffering from the disease. Ultimately, when it comes to US adults with an education level greater than high school, only 7.2% have diabetes.

Source: CDC

12. 200 million new cases of diabetes are expected by the year 2045 worldwide.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has come up with the latest stats and facts about the condition in global terms. As things stand, the recent reports from 2017 count 425 million adults already living with the disease, and they predict a notably high increase in this number, reaching 629 million patients by 2045.

Source: International Diabetes Federation

13. The following table covers general stats on diabetes across 40 countries globally:

Source: International Diabetes Federation

Type 1 Diabetes Rates & Statistics

14. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5% of adult cases of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes can develop at any point in one’s life due to unknown defects in the human body. According to the latest data, this type of diabetes accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults.

Source: CDC

15. Of those who are diabetic, the rates indicate that about 18,000 young people are annually diagnosed with the type 1 variant.

Type 1 diabetes is a variant of the condition where the human body can’t produce its own insulin. In most cases, these patients need to take regular injections to regulate their levels and ensure proper functions. In the US alone, nearly 18,000 youth are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year.

Sources: Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, American Diabetes Association

16. France and China don’t have national registries for people with Type 1 diabetes yet.

These two nations don’t have any country-level reports of the number of people suffering from type 1 diabetes. Nevertheless, this isn’t to say that there aren’t any—their records are most likely in the respective hospitals in both countries.

Source: Beyond Type 1

Type 2 Diabetes Statistics

17. Obesity is among the key factors increasing the probability of getting type 2 diabetes.

Old age, a family history of diabetes, and lack of exercise are other key factors affecting a person’s chances of developing diabetes. Nevertheless, obesity is one of the leading drivers, further proven by the fact that up to 85.2% of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

Source: Medical News Today, American Diabetes Association

18. The survival rate of diabetes among type 2 patients becomes significantly worse when cardiovascular disease is in the mix.

A new study has found that with proper control and management of specific risk factors, a diabetes patient can extend their life and improve its overall quality. These five key risk factors are blood pressure, long-term blood glucose, lipid status, renal function, and smoking. By giving up smoking, taking the right medications, and introducing a healthier lifestyle, patients drastically lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine

19. Between 2002 and 2012, the annual increase rate of type 1 diabetes in people in the US was 1.8%, while for type 2, it was 4.8%.

The US has recorded significantly rising numbers of type 2 diabetes patients, and obesity is one of the main contributors to this result. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), almost 40% of adults are seriously obese. What’s more, 18.5% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 are obese.

Source: Medical News Today, The State of Obesity 

Diabetes Mortality Rates and Statistics

20. In the US, adults with diabetes are much more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke.

The state of healthy lifestyles in the US may well be the reason for high mortality rates among diabetes patients. What’s even more alarming about this is the fact that heart attack is the number-one leading cause of death in the US, and stroke is ranked fifth.

Source: Medical News Today

21. Diabetes is ranked as the 7th leading cause of death in the US.

The diabetes rates on mortality are based on data showing diabetes to be the underlying cause of 83,564 deaths in the US every year. Moreover, it’s been listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death to a total of 270,702 deaths in the US annually.

Source: American Diabetes Association

22. Hearing loss, kidney failure, and limb amputations are among the most common consequences of diabetes.

Just in 2014, up to 52,159 people developed end-stage chronic kidney disease because of diabetes. About 60% of all non-traumatic limb amputations have also been noted as occurring due to diabetes complications. Ultimately, hearing loss is yet another side-effect, and it’s twice as likely to occur in diabetics.

Source: Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

Diabetes Trends in Adults and Children

23. 193,000 kids and young adults below the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes.

The age group below the age of 20 has seen approximately 193,000 cases of diabetes (type 1 or type 2). This means that as much as 0.24% of all youngsters in this age range already suffer a variant of this health condition.

Source: Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

24. Gestational diabetes is estimated to occur in 2%–10% of pregnancies in the US.

This form of diabetes appears during pregnancy, and it’s normally expected to return to normal after birth, although some evidence suggests that women with gestational pregnancies are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on. Most diabetes facts also confirm that children born under such circumstances are also more likely to develop diabetes.

Source: Healthline

25. 84.1 million adults in the US have prediabetes.

This is equivalent to 1 out of 3 adults in the US having a condition that could lead to type 2 diabetes. The worst part is that 9 out of 10 of these adults aren’t even aware of the fact that they have prediabetes.

Source: CDC

The Cost of Diabetes

26. In the case of diabetes, people with this disease have medical costs 2.3 times greater than those without it.

Final calculations point to the fact that diabetes patients need to pay 2.3 times more in health care fees than those not suffering from this condition.

Source: American Diabetes Association

27. In 2017, the estimated diabetes-related economic burden was $327 billion in the US.

Of this total, $237 billion is from direct costs associated with the disease, and $90 billion is related to reduced productivity.

Source: American Diabetes Association

28. Productivity loss is another $20.8 billion cost on the US budget.

In 2012, the ADA estimated the cost of reduced productivity of diabetes patients in the workplace. The results showed that the productivity loss was 113 million days, or roughly $20.8 billion.

Source: Medical News Today

Conclusion

This simple overview of 20 diabetes statistics and facts is more than enough to indicate the alarming state of affairs in the US. With unhealthy lifestyles leading the way, not to mention the expensive yet numerous treatments required for maintaining a good quality of life, people are torn by this medical condition.

When it comes to managing diabetes, prevention and precautionary measures are best applied at the earliest stage possible. This way, those who have the disease can still lead relatively comfortable lives. As the diabetes statistics show—and patients will confirm—regular examinations and lifestyle changes can take you a long way.