1 in 4 Americans with Diabetes Unaware of Illness: 29 Million Affected

A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, with one in four diabetic adults unaware of the medical condition. The number is up by 3 million from the previous estimates, according to the report.

"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, Ph.D., R.D., director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, in a news release.  "Diabetes is costly in both human and economic terms. It's urgent that we take swift action to effectively treat and prevent this serious disease."

Researchers estimate that another 86 million adults--also known as one in three U.S. adults--will suffer from pre-diabetic conditions in which their blood sugar levels raise above normal levels that could be classified as type 2 diabetes. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of individuals with pre-diabetic conditions will develop type 2 diabetes within a five year period without weight loss or moderate physical activity.

Key findings from the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014 (based on health data from 2012), include the following, courtesy of the report:

• 29 million people in the United States (9.3 percent) have diabetes.
• 1.7 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2012.
• Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults are about twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic white adults.
• 208,000 people younger than 20 years have been diagnosed with diabetes (type 1 or type 2).
• 86 million adults aged 20 years and older have prediabetes.
• The percentage of U.S. adults with prediabetes is similar for non-Hispanic whites (35 percent), non-Hispanic blacks (39 percent), and Hispanics (38 percent).

Though serious, this disease can be effectively treated with proper diet and exercise as well as medications that work to lower blood sugar levels. Reducing cardiovascular issues are also important in order to maintain adequate health.