Current statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 24 million people (about 8 percent of the entire U.S. population) are diabetic. This is an increase of more than 3 million diabetics in just 2 two years. Another 57 million people are estimated to be in a pre-diabetic state, showing early signs and symptoms of disease development and are considered at high risk for developing the disease.

Efforts aimed at earlier detection and increasing the awareness of the public have proven somewhat effective. Among those afflicted by the disease, individuals unaware of their diseased state decreased from 30% to 25% over the same two-year period. “It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these findings are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are at high risk. On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are aware that they have diabetes,” stated Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation.

Diabetes is a condition associated with high levels of glucose in the blood. These high levels have deleterious effects, often leading to blindness, kidney failure, and even the need for lower extremity amputation. It is one of the top ten-leading causes of mortality in the U.S. One in four people of the age of 60 had diabetes in 2007.

The CDC plans to release estimates of diabetes prevalence by county soon. This will be done in order to target efforts to meet the needs of specific communities. Visit http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT-STRS/default.aspx for information by county.

Concurrently, hypertension has been on the rise in the United States. Dr. Jeffrey Cutler at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland reports that over the past decade, there has been an 18% relative increase in high blood pressure rates, with the largest increase in women. Dr. Cutler’s group compared data collected in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 through 1994 to data from 1999 through 2004. It is estimated that more than 60 million people living in the United States have hypertension and hypertension is extremely prevalent in individuals over 65 years of age.

Researchers explain that this greater rise in female populations may be due to a “catch up” in awareness in male populations. However, overall prevalence keeps rising, which is the most telling statistic. Hypertension is associated with overweight, physical inactivity, stress, low grade inflammation, and smoking. Like diabetes lifestyle and diet play the largest role in development of the disease as well as prevention of it.