Diabetes: Quick Facts for Women

Updated June 2008

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 20 million Americans have diabetes, including nearly 21 percent of people over the age of 60. In the United States an estimated 10 million women have diabetes, but one-third of them are unaware of their illness.

According to the American Diabetes Association, the estimated total cost of diabetes in 2007 was $174 billion. This cost includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures and $58 billion in reduced national productivity. Of the $116 billion spent on excess medical expenditures, $27 billion was spent on care to directly treat diabetes, $58 billion was spent treating diabetes-related chronic complications, and $31 billon was spent on general excess medical costs.

There are three types of diabetes: gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes:

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, when the mother's blood glucose levels are too high. Gestational diabetes affects approximately 4 percent of pregnant women. This illness can be harmful to both mother and baby, but typically disappears after birth. According to the American Diabetes Association, two out of three women with gestational diabetes will experience it again in future pregnancies and many women who experience gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Although gestational diabetes does not cause birth defects, it can affect a baby's blood glucose levels and result in a larger baby. When gestational diabetes is not treated correctly, it puts the baby at risk for obesity in childhood and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body fails to produce insulin. Formerly known as juvenile-onset diabetes, type 1 is estimated to affect only 5 to 10 percent of diabetes patients. There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance combined with relative insulin deficiency. Formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 percent of diabetes incidence in women. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes is two to four times higher among black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian-Pacific Islander women than among white women. Usually, type 2 diabetes occurs in individuals over age 30, but in recent years an alarming number of children have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three children born in the U.S. in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.

High rates of type 2 diabetes in the United States may be a result of the increasing rates of obesity. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise can control weight and blood sugar levels and help prevent type 2 diabetes as well as contribute in diabetes management. Managing diabetes early on can reduce the chances of more serious health conditions. Overtime, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, amputations and may contribute to strokes and heart disease.

Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death for women in the United States and a major cause of disability. In 2000, the mortality rate for female diabetics was 26 per 1,000 women, a rate significantly higher than in the 1980s and 1990s, while the death rate for diabetic men decreased. While having diabetes more than doubles a man’s risk of dying of cardiovascular disease, this risk is 4 times higher in women with diabetes. Women with diabetes die of heart disease at the rate of 9.4 per 1,000 women, compared to a rate of 2.3 for women without diabetes.

NCSL Resources

Diabetes and Women This NCSL postcard includes facts about diabetes cost, control, and prevention, March 2008.
Diabetes This webpage provides a summary of state legislation on insurance coverage mandates for diabetes and medical supplies necessary to manage diabetes.
Chronic Disease Prevention This webpage includes tips for preventing and managing chronic disease, including options for policymakers.
Diabetes Overview This webpage provides basic diabetes information and additional resources.

Other Resources

American Diabetes Association
- Frequently Asked Questions about Women and Diabetes
- Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2007
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The Office on Women's Health
Initiative on Diabetes and Women's Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Diabetes in Pregnancy Podcast from the CDC

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