Chances are everyone knows someone who has diabetes. It is estimated that over 440,000 New Jerseyans have been diagnosed with diabetes1 and an additional 178,000 residents have the disease2 but are unaware of it. These figures do not include people with prediabetes which is estimated to be double the number of people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes combined. In New Jersey, diabetes is not only common, it is also costly and significant in its impact on health. Direct and indirect costs associated with medical care, lost productivity and premature mortality attributable to diabetes total about $5.9 billion per year in the state.3 As disturbing as this figure is, it reflects only the dollar figure. This cost estimate does not speak to the suffering endured by people with diabetes and their high rates of heart disease, stroke, foot ulcers and lower-extremity amputations, kidney disease, neurological problems, and blindness. Nor does it tell of the pain and loss experienced in relation to thousands of deaths annually in which diabetes is one of the listed causes.
The risk of diabetes is not evenly distributed among New Jerseyans. Some segments of our population suffer disproportionately from this disease. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians are far more heavily impacted than Whites. People over 45 years of age are more likely to have diabetes than those who are younger. People with a family history of diabetes; people who are obese; people with high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol; women with a history of gestational diabetes; and women who have had a baby weighing over 9 pounds are all at greater risk of diabetes.
Although the data presented here may make the challenges that we face seem daunting, the intent of this report is not to overwhelm the reader. Its purpose is, rather, to make known the many opportunities that exist to modify the negative impacts that diabetes has on the people of New Jersey. Diabetes is controllable and much of its burden can be delayed or prevented. Wellness enhancement (e.g. proper nutrition, physical activity, control of blood pressure, and smoking cessation), early detection of diabetes, proper treatment and screening for complications at recommended intervals are critical factors in the prevention of complications. In our efforts to define the scope of the problem of diabetes in New Jersey, we hope to increase awareness of this disease, draw attention to modifiable risk factors and methods of preventing complications, provide direction for action, and establish a basis for feedback on the success of efforts undertaken.
The New Jersey Diabetes Prevention and Control Program’s Data Committee was originally formed to assess the extent of the burden of diabetes in New Jersey. The results of the United States Department of Health and Human Services-funded Diabetes Prevention Program study, published in 2002, conclusively showed that people with prediabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity. In this update of The Burden of Diabetes in New Jersey: A Surveillance Report (November 1999), the scope of the report has been expanded to include data relevant to primary prevention.
https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/chronic/documents/diabetesinnj.pdf