10 Diabetes Facts You May Not Have Known
There are two major forms of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes means that your body is not producing enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes means that your body is using insulin inadequately. Type 2 diabetes accounts for nearly 90 percent of all diabetes cases worldwide. (Source: World Health Organization)
Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
(Source: Diabetes.org)
An estimated 79 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. (Source: Diabetes.org)
It is estimated that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion. (Source: American Diabetes Association)
Mothers who develop gestational diabetes (increased blood sugar during pregnancy) incur a 35 to 60 percent probability of developing diabetes within the following 10 to 20 years. (Source: CDC.gov)
Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of all Americans and 11.3 percent of adults age 20 and older. Nearly 7 million Americans are unaware that they have diabetes. (Source: CDC.gov)
Diabetes is projected to be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. Total diabetes-related deaths could increase by more than 50 percent over the next 10 years. (Source: World Health Organization)
Diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness due to long-term harm to the small blood vessels in the retina. Roughly 2 percent of people who have endured diabetes for 15 years become blind, while 10 percent suffer severe visual impairment. (Source: World Health Organization)
The World Health Organization recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days, plus a healthy, well-balanced diet to diminish your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. However, Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. (Source: World Health Organization)
Celebrities who live or lived with diabetes include actress Halle Berry, boxer
Joe Frazier, baseball player Ty Cobb, television personality Dick Clark, author Ernest Hemingway, musicians Elvis Presley, James Brown and Johnny Cash, and inventor Thomas Edison.
