Some Diabetes Statistics at a Glance
About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes are attributed to heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes are at greater risk for heart disease than the general population. Although there do not appear to be consistent disparities in diabetes-related coronary artery disease between minorities and white persons, an AHRQ-funded study has found that African-American diabetic patients are more likely than whites to have a particular lipid profile: low HDLs (high-density lipoproteins), high LDLs (low-density lipoproteins), but lower triglycerides than among whites. People with diabetes are prone to foot problems because of the likelihood of damage to blood vessels and nerves and a decreased ability to fight infection. Problems with blood flow and damage to nerves may cause an injury to the foot to go unnoticed until infection develops.
For the average American, the chance of developing type 1 diabetes by age 70 years is 1 in 100 (1 percent), while the corresponding chances of getting type 2 diabetes are at 1 in 9 (11 percent). Knowing what the odds are is one thing; but one can still get the disease even if he or she is not at apparent high risk. People with type 1 diabetes are highly susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis. Because the pancreas produces no insulin, glucose cannot enter cells and remains in the bloodstream. The causes of diabetes are not known, but certain factors that put a person at more risk of developing diabetes are known. These are called risk factors.
Gestational Diabetes
Women who have had gestational diabetes and children whose mothers had gestational diabetes are at higher lifetime risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. It may be possible to prevent type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes. The early symptoms of untreated diabetes are related to elevated blood sugar levels, and loss of glucose in the urine. High amounts of glucose in the urine can cause increased urine output and lead to dehydration. A small percentage of people find that a single morning injection of insulin is enough, but most people with Type 1 diabetes are now on four injections a day. Finding the right combination and timing of injections is a matter of trial and error.
