CDC finds almost 24 million diabetics in U.S.

William Atkins
Wednesday, 25 June 2008 21:55

Science - Health

A 2007 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes, which is three million more people than in 2005.

With over 304 million people in the United States,  7.8% of the U.S. population, according to the CDC, has the medical condition called diabetes mellitus, or what is commonly called simply diabetes.

It is a syndrome involving an abnormal body metabolic rate, which causes unusually high levels of blood sugar from insufficient levels of the hormone insulin. The symptoms of diabetes is excessive thirst and increased desire for fluids, excessive urine production, blurred vision, weight loss, and sluggishness.

Most of the people in the country have type-2 diabetes, what was formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). It is thought to be caused by various factors including obesity, old age, and heredity. About 90-95% of all adult cases of diabetes in the United States involve type-2 diabetes.

About 55% of the time people are obese and also have diabetes. About 20% of the elderly have diabetes. A family history of diabetes makes a person more likely to get diabetes.

Diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, is also medically linked to poor diets and a lack of regular exercise.

The CDC report also found that about 25% of U.S. citizens that have diabetes do not know they have it. The report found 17.9 million people had been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 5.7 million cases that are still undiagnosed.

In addition, about 57 million people have pre-diabetes, a condition that makes people at increased risk for diabetes.

The CDC report breaks down diabetes with respect to ethnic groups found in the United States. Please read on.