Diabetes: What is it?
• Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Source
• Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, vision loss, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
• According to the CDC, approximately 11.3% of adults, aged 20 years or older, had diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes in 2010.
Racial/Ethnic Diabetes Disparities
• 7.1% of non-Hispanic whites, 8.4% of Asian Americans, 11.8% of Hispanics and 12.6% of non-Hispanic blacks in the United States had diagnosed diabetes. Compared to non-Hispanic white adults, the risk of diagnosed diabetes was 18% higher among Asian Americans, 66% higher among Hispanics, and 77% higher among non-Hispanic blacks. Source
• The five-year average (2004-2008) of diagnosed diabetes among adults aged 18 years or older in King County is 5.4%.
• 5.4% of Whites, 10.5% of African Americans, 9.2% of American Indian/Alaskan Natives, 4.6% of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and 4.0% of Hispanic/Latinos had diagnosed diabetes.
Diabetes Death Rate
• Deaths due to diabetes (five-year average from 2003 to 2007) in King County was 20.1 deaths per 100,000 persons. The racial/ethnic breakdown of diabetes deaths per 100,000 persons is 18.1 Whites, 57.7 African Americans, 42.8 American Indian/Alaskan Natives, 23.1 Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and 27.0 Hispanic/Latinos. Source
Diabetes-related Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 persons)
• Based on national survey data, deaths related to diabetes (five-year average from 2003 to 2007) in King County was 60.9.. The diabetes-related death rate by race/ethnicity is 56.1 for Whites, 146.0 for African Americans, 103.2 for American Indian/Alaskan Natives, 69.8 for Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and 78.3 for Hispanic/Latinos. Source
Preventive Care Practices in Washington state, 2009, among adults with diabetes:
• 69.3% received a dilated eye exam in the last year
• 64.6% performed daily self-monitoring of blood glucose
• 73.7% had a foot exam in the last year
• 86.6% saw a health profession for diabetes in the last year
• 57.5% performed daily self-exam of their feet
• 71.6% had two or more A1c tests in the last year
• 65.8% had ever attended a diabetes self-management class
• 59.6% had received influenza vaccination in the last year
• 53.4% had ever received a pneumococcal vaccination
