What is Diabetes? 
 
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.  
 
Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.  
 
How are different age groups affected by diabetes? 
 
Among Americans aged 20 years or younger, less than one-quarter of 1% (about 186,300 people) have diabetes. Among Americans aged 20 years or older, 10.7% (23.5 million people) have diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes is greater among older people. Among Americans aged 60 years of older, 23.1% (12.2 million people) have diabetes.  
 
What is the economic cost of diabetes in the United States? 
 
The estimated economic cost of diabetes in 2007 was $174 billion. Of this amount, $116 billion was due to direct medical costs and $58 billon due to indirect costs such as lost workdays, restricted activity, and disability due to diabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes incur average expenditures of $11,744 per year, of which $6,649 is attributed to diabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes, on overage, have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 of $5 healthcare dollars in the United States is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes, while approximately $1 of $10 healthcare dollars is attributed to diabetes.  
 
What are some recent improvements in diabetes care? 
 
Technology has given new solutions to diabetes care. Quick-acting and long-acting insulin provide more options for managing insulin-dependent diabetes. A wider range of oral drugs are available to treat type 2 diabetes. New monitors make it easier and more comfortable for people to test and track their blood glucose. External insulin pumps can replace the discomfort of daily injections. Laser surgery can treat diabetic eye disease and prevent blindness. Successful kidney and pancreas transplantation procedures bring hope to people with organ failure.  
 
In addition, we have learned more about how to manage diabetes and prevent complications through weight reduction, blood glucose control and exercise. We have more successful methods of managing diabetes during pregnancy. We have also identified lifestyle changes that can help prevent diabetes.  
 
For more information, read the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse publication.
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