Complications of diabetes in the United States
Heart disease and stroke
Heart disease and
stroke account for about 65 percent of deaths in people with diabetes.Adults with
diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes. The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes.
High blood pressure
About 73 percent of adults with diabetes have blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/80 mm Hg or use prescription medications for
hypertension.
Blindness
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of
blindness among adults aged 20 to 74 years.
Diabetic retinopathy causes 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year.
Kidney disease
Diabetes is the leading cause of
kidney failure, accounting for 44 percent of new cases in 2002. In 2002 in the United Sates and Puerto Rico, 44,400 people with diabetes began treatment for end-stage kidney disease. In 2002 in the United States and Puerto Rico,153,730 people with end-stage kidney disease due to diabetes were living on
chronic dialysis or with a kidney transplant.
Nervous system disease
About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of
nervous system damage. The results of such damage include impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other nerve problems. Almost 30 percent of people with diabetes aged 40 years or older
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