An overview of the incidence of diabetes in the United States - Term Paper Example

An overview of the incidence of diabetes in the United s Diabetes is a chronic disease that is a major global concern. This paper explores its occurrence in the United States.Diabetes is a common disease in the United States with a high prevalence rate that exceeds eight percent. In the year 2010, for example, an estimated population of about 25.8 million was reported with the disease. More than 30 percent of the population was, however, not diagnosed. The prevalence rate varies with demographic factors.

It, for instance, increases with increase in age with a prevalence rate of about 0.25 percent in children and teenagers, and about 11 percent in individuals above 20 years. People who are above 65 years old are at the highest risk with a prevalence rate of more than 26 percent. Difference in susceptibility by gender is, however, small with adult males having a unit percent higher prevalence rate as compared to adult females (“Diabetes statistics”, 2011). Incidences of the disease also vary with race.

‘Non-Hispanic’ blacks are the most vulnerable at almost 13 percent prevalence rate while ‘non-Hispanic’ whites have a prevalence rate of seven percent. Despite control measures, diabetes remains a killer disease, both directly and indirectly (“National diabetes statistics”, 2011). The disease’s prevalence rate also bears relationships with other complications. Published data, for example, indicate an almost seventy percent prevalence rate of heart diseases among diabetic patients.

A survey of data between the years 2005 and 2008 also reported a 67 percent rate of high blood pressure among diabetic patients. Significant relationships in prevalence rates have also been identified between diabetes and other diseases such as “blindness,” “kidney disease,” “nervous system disease” and “amputation” (“Diabetes statistics”, 2011, p. 1).The high prevalence rates of diabetes and its correlation with other chronic diseases, therefore, identify its national significance.

ReferencesAmerican Diabetes Association. (2011). Diabetes statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/ National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. (2011). National diabetes statistics. Retrieved from: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/#fast