Diabetes is a chronic metabolic health condition that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin in order to create energy from ingested food. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, which is genetic and caused by an autoimmune response; type 2, which is related to lifestyle factors; and the third type, called gestational diabetes, which occurs only during pregnancy due to high blood sugar levels. The most common type of diabetes is type 2, with obesity contributing to a high level of risk for developing the disease. The burden due to diabetes is ever-increasing around the globe and in the U.S., where the
Diabetes prevalence and risks
The
prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has exceeded eight percent of the U.S. adult population as of 2021.
Rates of diabetes in the United States increase with age and are higher among certain racial and ethnic groups. For example, around 17 percent of
non-Hispanic Black adults in the U.S. were thought to have diabetes from 2017 to 2020, compared to just under 14 percent of non-Hispanic white adults.
Overweight and obesity, which are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes, are becoming more prominent worldwide and especially in the United States, where the
prevalence of obesity among adults has reached 33 percent. Other risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include a family history of diabetes, a personal history of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides in the blood. Diabetes increases the risk for heart and cardiovascular diseases, which can lead to heart attack or stroke, as well as kidney disease and eye problems. Another very common complication is neuropathy, or nerve damage, which often causes numbness and pain, most often in the feet and legs, and can elicit serious, hard-to-treat infections and amputation.
Treatment & prevention
Although type 1 diabetes is not preventable, strategies to prevent the other types of diabetes and resulting complications can be helpful in managing all types of the disease, including following a healthy eating plan, being physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is key in managing diabetes, which is often done through measuring blood sugar levels, recording food intake, and taking insulin. Unfortunately, in the United States
prices of insulin have skyrocketed compared to other countries.
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