Diabetes knows no borders. There are people living with diabetes in every country on Earth and in all 50 states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9.8 percent of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes. That percentage is undoubtedly higher if you include undiagnosed cases as well as people who have prediabetes. Additionally, the rate of newly diagnosed diabetes in Adults 18 to 79 was 7.8 percent in 2018.
But the percentage of people with diabetes in the United States is not uniform. Some states have significantly higher rates of diabetes than others. The CDC reports that the largest percentages of diabetes cases were in the southeastern and Appalachian sections of the country. Conversely, the lowest diabetes rates are found in Colorado (6.6%), Wisconsin (7.4%), and Vermont (7.6%).
According to the CDC, the variation in diabetes rates is a product of multiple factors, including socioeconomic position, education levels, dietary habits, and access to healthcare. As such, states with higher poverty rates and fewer people with a high school diploma tend to have more citizens with diabetes.
The list of states with the highest diabetes rates reflects those risk factors. The top 10 states with the largest percentage of people with diabetes are:
- West Virginia: 13.4%
- Mississippi: 12.9%
- Louisiana: 12.9%
- Alabama: 12.7%
- Arkansas: 12.4%
- Tennessee: 12.2%
- Kentucky: 12.1%
- Texas: 12.0%
- Georgia: 11.7%
- South Carolina: 11.6%
No matter what state you live in, if you have diabetes, accurate and vigilant monitoring of blood sugar levels is a critical part of managing your condition. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a tested, approved, and easy-to-use transceiver device that helps those with diabetes stay in control of their condition and their lives without the need for inconvenient and burdensome finger-pricking multiple times a day.
Ask your doctor about CGM and contact us today to see if you qualify for CGM and access our guide to continuous glucose monitoring.