About Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. More than 37 million people have the disease and 96 million are at risk of developing it. Moreover, 1 in 4 people don’t know they have diabetes and 1 in 3 are pre-diabetic. This healthcare crisis has come with a staggering cost in excess of $327 billion annually and continues to climb as more people develop the disease. African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes compared to other groups in the general population. According to the American Diabetes Association, every 20 seconds, someone is diagnosed with the disease. Nearly 3.7 million African Americans aged 20 years or older have diabetes and 1 in 4 African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes while 25 percent of African Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the disease. The most common form of diabetes among this group is Type 2. Besides being one of the biggest health challenges facing African Americans today, diabetes among this ethnic group continues to rise due to issues such as obesity, unhealthy diet, and lack of knowledge. Because there is no cure for diabetes, it has become one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. We must be diligent in our fight to help combat the war on diabetes!