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Diabetes Facts
Facts and figures about
Diabetes
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Diabetes is one of the
fastest-growing diseases in the United States.
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Diabetes is the fifth
leading cause of death by disease in this country.
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Complications resulting
from diabetes claim 224,092 lives annually. Although this
figure is underreported, the risk of death among people with
diabetes is twice that of those of the same age without
diabetes.
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25.8 million Americans
(8%) have diabetes.
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7 million people in
America have diabetes and don't know they have it.
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Diabetes and its
associated health problems cost $174 billion dollars
annually.
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Heart disease and
stroke account for 65% of deaths in people with diabetes.
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Diabetes accounts for
12,000-24,000 new cases of blindness each year.
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More than 60% of non-traumatic
lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
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Diabetes is the leading
cause of kidney failure.
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Diabetes can be
diagnosed through a simple blood sugar test. Ask your
physician to perform one soon.
Signs and symptoms of
Diabetes
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Excessive thirst
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Frequent urination
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Dramatic, unexplained weight loss
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Tingling in toes or feet
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Wounds seem to be very slow in healing
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Extremely and chronically fatigued
Risk factors for developing Diabetes
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A parent or family member with diabetes
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Women who have given
birth to babies weighing more than nine pounds or have a
history of gestational diabetes
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Increasing age
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Overweight
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Inactive lifestyle
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African Americans,
Latinos, Asian and Pacific Islanders and Native Americans
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Low HDL cholesterol or high
triglycerides
Common Misconceptions about Diabetes
1. Diabetes is not a
serious disease. While diabetes is not fatal, complications
from diabetes result in it being the fifth leading cause of
death by disease in the United States. These complications
include blindness, kidney failure, and heart disease.
2. Diabetes can be
cured. Although Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with diet,
medication, and exercise, diabetes is a chronic condition for
which there currently is no cure.
3. There is only one
kind of diabetes. There are actually three types of diabetes:
Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. In Type 1, the pancreas does not produce
insulin. So insulin must be given by injection or a pump to
survive. Type 1 is most commonly diagnosed in childhood and
young adulthood. In Type 2, the body does not respond to insulin
effectively and gradually loses its ability to produce enough
insulin. This usually occurs in adults, and can be controlled by
diet, weight loss, and exercise...without the need for insulin
injections, although most people will require oral medications
and/or insulin.
Gestational diabetes occurs
in pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body is not able to make and
use all of the insulin it needs for pregnancy. This can often be
controlled by diet and exercise. In most cases, the woman will
not have diabetes once the baby is delivered. The woman will
however, have a 66% chance of diabetes returning in future
pregnancies.
4. People are born with
diabetes. While many people with Type 1 diabetes are
diagnosed with the disease during childhood, people with Type 2
diabetes often do not develop the disease until they are adults,
although the number of children with Type 2 diabetes is
increasing.
5. Diabetes is a rare
disease. Nearly 23.6 million Americans, or 8% of the
American population, have diabetes. Currently, diabetes is the
fastest growing disease in the United States.
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