Diabetes is becoming more and more common in the United States. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly 16% of American adults—about one in every six—now have diabetes.
This is a big increase from the year 2000, when just under 10% of adults had the disease.
Diabetes happens when the body has trouble controlling blood sugar levels. This usually involves problems with insulin, a hormone that helps the body move sugar from the blood into the cells for energy. If blood sugar stays too high for too long, it can harm the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and other parts of the body.
Most people with diabetes—around 95%—have what is called type 2 diabetes. This form of the disease is different from type 1 diabetes, which usually starts in childhood and is caused by the immune system attacking insulin-producing cells.
Type 2 diabetes usually begins later in life and happens when the body becomes resistant to insulin. This causes sugar to build up in the blood.
Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to lifestyle, especially being overweight or obese. It used to be seen mainly in older adults, but now it is becoming more common in younger people, too.
The CDC looked at data collected between mid-2021 and mid-2023 and found several key trends. Men are more likely to have diabetes than women. About 18% of men have it, compared to nearly 13% of women.
Age is also a big factor. Among adults younger than 40, only about 3.6% have diabetes. But for those between 40 and 59, the rate jumps to 12.1%. And for people aged 60 and older, over 20% have diabetes. This shows that the risk of diabetes increases with age.
Weight is another major issue. Nearly 25% of people who are obese have diabetes. For those who are overweight but not obese, the rate is lower—about 12%. And for people who are a healthy weight or underweight, only about 6.8% have diabetes.
Education also seems to play a role. Almost 20% of people who only finished high school have diabetes. But among people with a college degree, the rate drops to about 11%. This may be because people with more education are more likely to have access to health information, better jobs, healthier food, and good medical care.
One worrying part of the report is that many people don’t know they have diabetes. About 4.5% of American adults have the disease but haven’t been diagnosed. This is dangerous because untreated diabetes can quietly damage the body over time.
As more people develop diabetes, it’s important to take steps to protect your health. This includes eating healthy food, staying active, keeping a healthy weight, and seeing a doctor regularly. Managing stress and getting enough sleep can also help. For those at risk, learning more about diabetes and how to prevent it could make a big difference.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about This drug combo can treat type 2 diabetes in the long run effectively and findings of Eating fewer than 3 meals a day may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about bone drug that could lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing eating more eggs linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
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