24 Million People in the U.S. Have Diabetes

The CDC has announced in a press release that 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, based on numbers from 2007. This is 3 million more cases than were recorded in 2005. Although this number reflects 8% of the total population of the United States, 25% of the people diagnosed with diabetes are over age 60.

Percentages were also broken down with regard to ethnicity.

"After adjusting for population age differences between the groups, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives (16.5 percent). This was followed by blacks (11.8 percent) and Hispanics (10.4 percent), which includes rates for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans (8.2 percent). By comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was 7.5 percent with whites at 6.6 percent."

The CDC estimates that there are at least another 57 million people who are prediabetic.

Do you know the signs of diabetes?

• Top Warning Signs of Diabetes