Slide 4 of 17
Notes:
Diabetes is the inability of the body to control glucose levels. 16 million Americans have diabetes and its costs exceed $100 billion annually. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations and dramatically raises the risk of heart attacks. It kills 180,000 Americans each year, making it the seventh leading cause of death (sixth-leading cause of death by disease) in the United States.
Blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people ages 20-74. Each year, from 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes.
Kidney Disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 40% of new cases. In 1995, approximately 27,900 people initiated treatment for end stage renal disease (kidney failure) because of diabetes.
Nerve Disease and Amputations. About 60-70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which, in severe forms, can lead to lower limb amputations. In fact, diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. The risk of a leg amputation is 15-40 times greater for a person with diabetes. Each year, more than 56,000 amputations are performed among people with diabetes.
Heart Disease and Stroke. People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease which is present in 75 percent of diabetes-related deaths (more than 77,000 deaths due to heart disease annually). And, they are 2 to 4 times more likely to suffer a stroke.
