Where does your state rank in terms of prevalence of diabetes?
Today, in the United States, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the nation, accounting for more than 80,000 deaths every year. It also contributes to other health conditions such as heart disease, which is the leading cause of death and stroke, which is the fifth leading and the leading cause of death. Diabetes has also been identified to be the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic lower-limb amputation in adults.
These statistics are serious, and it is alarming to know that in 2017, up to 30.3 million Americans had diabetes with 7.2 million being undiagnosed. Up to 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed among adults above the age of 18 in 2015 alone.
Diabetes is a health condition that has to do with how the body produces and uses insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps the body regulate the blood sugar levels. Even though Type 2 diabetes seems to be the most common, accounting for up to 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases, there are also other two major types of diabetes, which are Type 1 and gestational diabetes.
States in the U. S with the Highest Prevalence of Diabetes
The state rankings for diabetes prevalence is below, according to latest data collected from the Center for Disease Control, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The percentage represents the numbers of adults who reported being told by a health professional that they have diabetes (excludes prediabetes and gestational diabetes).
The United States has an overall value of 10%. Utah is the healthiest state with a value of 7.1% and a rank of 49. Whereas West Virginia was observed to be the least healthy state, having the highest incidence of diabetes among people above the age of 18 with a rank of 1 and a value of 14.1%.
U.S. Value: United States: 10.0%
Healthiest State: Utah: 7.1%
Least-healthy State: West Virginia: 14.1%
Data Source & Year(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014
| Country |
Rank |
Value |
| West Virginia |
1 |
14.1% |
| Mississippi |
3 |
13.0% |
| Tennessee |
3 |
13.0% |
| Alabama |
4 |
12.9% |
| Arkansas |
5 |
12.7% |
| Kentucky |
6 |
12.5% |
| Oklahoma |
8 |
12.0% |
| South Carolina |
8 |
12.0% |
| Ohio |
9 |
11.7% |
| Georgia |
10 |
11.6% |
| New Mexico |
11 |
11.5% |
| Louisiana |
12 |
11.3% |
| Florida |
14 |
11.2% |
| Pennsylvania |
14 |
11.2% |
| Delaware |
16 |
11.1% |
| Missouri |
16 |
11.1% |
| Texas |
17 |
11.0% |
| North Carolina |
18 |
10.8% |
| Indiana |
19 |
10.7% |
| Michigan |
20 |
10.4% |
| California |
22 |
10.3% |
| Kansas |
22 |
10.3% |
| Illinois |
24 |
10.1% |
| Maryland |
24 |
10.1% |
| New York |
25 |
10.0% |
| Arizona |
25 |
10.0% |
| Hawaii |
26 |
9.8% |
| Massachusetts |
27 |
9.7% |
| Virginia |
27 |
9.7% |
| Nevada |
28 |
9.6% |
| Nevada |
28 |
9.6% |
| Iowa |
31 |
9.5% |
| Maine |
31 |
9.5% |
| Rhode Island |
32 |
9.4% |
| Connecticut |
34 |
9.2% |
| Nebraska |
34 |
9.2% |
| New Hampshire |
36 |
9.1% |
| South Dakota |
36 |
9.1% |
| Oregon |
38 |
9.0% |
| Wisconsin |
38 |
9.0% |
| Washington |
39 |
8.9% |
| Montana |
40 |
8.8% |
| North Dakota |
41 |
8.6% |
| Wyoming |
43 |
8.4% |
| District of Columbia |
43 |
8.4% |
| Minnesota |
44 |
8.1% |
| Vermont |
45 |
7.9% |
| Idaho |
46 |
7.6% |
| Alaska |
47 |
7.4% |
| Colorado |
48 |
7.3% |
| Utah |
49 |
7.1% |
Sources:
- Center for Disease Control. “Leading Causes of Death.” Accessed “April 23, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
- Center for Disease Control. “National Diabetes Statistics Report.” Accessed April 23, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
- Center for Disease Control. “Diabetes Quick Facts.” Accessed April 23, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/quick-facts.html
- United Health Foundation. “Explore Diabetes in the United States.” Accessed April 23, 2018. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/2015-annual-report/measure/Diabetes/state/ALL