Diabetes can strike anyone, from any walk of life.
And it does – in numbers that are dramatically increasing. In the last decade, the cases of people with diabetes jumped more than 40 percent – to 21 million Americans.
Worldwide, it afflicts 150 million people. And the World Health Organization estimates that by 2025, that number will more than double.
Today, diabetes takes more lives than AIDS and breast cancer combined -- claiming the life of 1 American every 3 minutes. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart failure and stroke.
The disease places an enormous emotional, physical and financial burden on the entire family. Annually, diabetes costs the American public more than $132 billion.
>> What is diabetes?
>> Type 1
>> Type 2
Read these helpful "fact sheets"
>>Carbohydrate counting
>>Care of older people with diabetes
>>Complications
>>Diabetes at school
>>Diabetes prevention
>>Exercise
>>Facts about fat
>>Goal setting
>>Healthy heart
>>Low blood sugar
>>Monitoring blood glucose
>>Meal portion guide
>>What is diabetes?