29 million Americans have diabetes and 1 in 4 are undiagnosed

The number of people in America developing diabetes shows no sign of slowing down, with new figures revealing that more than 29 million Americans now have the disease.
Health data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the number of people diagnosed with diabetes soared by more than 3 million between 2010 and 2012, taking the nation’s diabetes rate to 29 million – equal to about 9% of the adult population.
In 2012, a further 86 million individuals were at high risk of developing diabetes, 1 in 4 American adults with diabetes were unaware of their condition (undiagnosed diabetes), and more than 200,000 children and teenagers had the disease (types 1 and 2 combined).
“These new numbers are alarming and underscore the need for an increased focus on reducing the burden of diabetes in our country,” said Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “Now is the time to take action.”
Other alarming findings published in the agency’s report include:
Hispanics, blacks, American Indian and Alaskan native adults are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as white adults.
Total medical costs and lost work and wages associated with diabetes and its related complications jumped from $174 billion in 2010 to $245 billion in 2012.
Albright warned that if incidence of diabetes continues to rise at the current rate, 1 in 5 Americans could be affected by the blood glucose disorder by the year 2025 and a third of the population may have the condition by 2050.
“We simply can’t sustain this trajectory – the implications are far too great for our families, our healthcare system, our workforce, our natio,” she added.