According to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, in 2007 roughly 23 percent, or 12.2 million, of those aged 60 and over in the U.S. had diabetes. The agency also estimated that about 536,000 new cases appeared among that age group. Over all, 23.6 million Americans live with diabetes, and researchers say the new numbers represent a 15 percent increase from a 2005 report that found about 21 million living with the disease.

 

The CDC points out that diabetes, which is associated with high levels of blood glucose due to irregular insulin production, is “the seventh leading cause of death in the country and can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.”

 

For seniors, diabetes can be particularly detrimental. The CDC reports that in 2004, heart disease contributed to 68 percent of diabetes-related deaths among people

aged 65 years or older. Stroke contributed to about 16 of diabetes-related death for that same age group. The agency also notes that people aged 60 or older with diabetes “are 2 to 3 times more likely to report an inability to walk one-quarter of a mile, climb stairs, do housework, or use a mobility aid compared with persons without diabetes in the same age group.”

 

The data did have some encouraging news. Over a two year period, the number of people with diabetes that did not know they had the disease decreased from 30 percent to 25 percent, the agency said.

 

Ann Albright, Ph.D., director of the CDC’s division of diabetes translation, said that while it is “concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes,” it is good to find that “more people are aware that they have diabetes.” Albright added, “That is an indication that our efforts to increase awareness are working, and more importantly, that more people are better prepared to manage this disease and its complications.”

 

However, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program, a research study focused on examining the effects of diet and exercise on the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes, lifestyle intervention reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 71 percent among adults aged 60 years or older.

 

For more information and tips on prevention, visit the CDC’s Diabetes Web site.