There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 Type 1 diabetes usually strikes in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, but lasts …
FaCts
What is Diabetes?
General Diabetes Facts
Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting every organ system There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2 Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a persons pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food Type 1 diabetes usually strikes in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, but lasts a lifetime People with type 1 diabetes must take multiple injections of insulin daily or continuous infusion of insulin through a pump just to survive Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which a persons body still produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively Type 2 is usually diagnosed in adulthood and does not always require insulin injections However, increased obesity has led to a recent epidemic in cases of type 2 diabetes in young adults Taking insulin does not cure any type of diabetes nor prevent the possibility of its eventual and devastating effects: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputation, heart attack, and stroke
the scope of Diabetes
More than 18 million Americans have diabetes 63 percent of population: Diagnosed: 13 million
Undiagnosed: 52 million As many as 3 million Americans may have type 1 diabetes 194 million people have diabetes worldwide According to World Health Organization Estimates, this number will more than double by 2030 In the US, a new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds; more than 13 million people are diagnosed each year
the Cost of Diabetes
Diabetes is the single most costly chronic disease In 2002, diabetes accounted for 132 billion in health-care costs in the US Diabetes accounts for 32 percent of all Medicare expenditures People with diabetes in the US incur medical expenses that are approximately 24 times higher than people without diabetes
the Damage Caused by Diabetes
Attacks Many Organ Systems: Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, adult blindness, and non-traumatic amputations and a leading cause of nerve damage, stroke, and heart attacks Increased Risk: People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than someone without the disease Shortens Life: Diabetes kills one American every three minutes and is the sixth leading cause of death reported in the US Life expectancy for people with diabetes is shortened by an
average of 7-10 years, and the risk of death for people with diabetes is about two times that of people without diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes, 2004; KRC Research for JDRF, Jan 2005
For more information, visit the JDRF Web site at wwwjdrforg, or call 800-533-CURE
August 2005
