Diabetes

The Impact of Diabetes in Arkansas

Diabetes is a serious and costly chronic illness. In 2014, there were almost 288,800 adults in Arkansas with a known diagnosis of diabetes. That’s more than 1 out of every nine adults in the state. Those with a diagnosis of diabetes have medical expenses that are “approximately 2.3 times higher than those who do not have diabetes.”

An estimated 75,000 adults in Arkansas had diabetes but did not know it. An additional 797,000 adults, or more than one-third of Arkansas, had prediabetes in 2014.

Diabetes impacts children as well: the American Diabetes Association estimates that “one out of every three children born after 2000 in the United States will be directly affected by diabetes” at some time in their lives.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or doesn’t properly use the insulin that the body makes. Insulin is needed to convert sugar in the food we eat into the energy needed by every cell in the human body. The symptoms of diabetes are often subtle and may go undetected for a long period. Unfortunately, high sugar can cause serious and life-altering medical complications, but people with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower their risk of developing complications. Learn more and watch a video on how diabetes affects the body.

The Different Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children or young adults but can occur at any age. It accounts for about 5 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly called noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, usually begins as insulin resistance-metabolic syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s cells do not use insulin properly. Being overweight and inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes usually develops in adults older than 40. However, type 2 diabetes increasingly occurs in children and adolescents. About 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance that develops during pregnancy. It occurs more frequently among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians and is also more common among obese women and women with a family history of diabetes. Learn More

Learn about the Symptoms of Diabetes

Prediabetes is indicated by higher-than-normal blood glucose levels, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Before developing type 2 diabetes, individuals usually have prediabetes. An estimated 797,000 adult Arkansans have prediabetes and are at very high risk for developing the disease.

You can find out if you are at risk by texting “RISKTEST” to 97779 or click “TAKE THE RISK TEST” in the box below.

If You Are At Risk, What Do You Do Next?

Talk with your healthcare provider at your next visit and get tested.

If you have been diagnosed with either Prediabetes or Diabetes, here’s where you can get help. Remember, you are not alone!

If you have prediabetes, enroll in a National Diabetes Prevention Program Recognized Program (DPRP). These programs are effective in delaying or preventing type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes, and they are cost-effective.

Find a National Prediabetes Prevention Program near you.

If you have diabetes, learn how to live well with diabetes by enrolling in a Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSME/S) program.

The National Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes state that all people with diabetes should participate in diabetes self-management education and support, as well as individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT).

Find a recognized diabetes self-management education program near you:

If You Are a Health Care Professional, Bring These Programs to Your Organization

For more information about establishing a Diabetes Prevention Recognized Program, contact the Arkansas Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Branch at 501-661-2942 for technical assistance.

For more information on applying or receiving technical assistance with the DSME application process, contact the Arkansas Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Branch at 501-661-2942.

Providers download the Prevent Diabetes STAT toolkit developed through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association.