How Many People Have Diabetes

How Many People Have Diabetes ?

The food we consume is broken down into glucose -- the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for our body. After digestion, glucose passes into the blood stream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For this, insulin is required, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas.

In diabetics, the pancreas produces little or no insulin or the cells do not respond properly. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the bladder, and passes out of the body with the urine. The body loses its main source of fuel even if the blood carries a great amount of glucose.

There are two different types of diabetes (type 1 and type 2), and a number of causes that lead to their occurrence.

In the US, a survey conducted in 2007 yielded the following results.

Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in all ages –Total: 23.6 million people constituting 7.8 percent of the population.
Diagnosed: 17.9 million people
Undiagnosed: 5.7 million people

Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in people younger than 20 years –

About 186,300 suffering from both types 1 and 2. This represents 0.2 percent of all people in this age group.

It shows that the incidence of diabetes is high. But the relieving factor is that there is increased awareness among people towards the disease. Diabetes increased in both men and women and in all age groups, but still disproportionately affected the elderly. People are better prepared to manage this disease and its complications.

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How Many People Have Diabetes