Deemed the seventh leading cause of death in the US, the disease incites a wide range of complications, including blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and the amputation of fingers, toes and whole limbs.
Released every two years, the report doesn’t exactly paint a happy picture of America’s health.
In 2015 alone, an estimated 1.5 million new diabetes cases were diagnosed in people aged 18 and older. Even more shocking, many were completely unaware of their condition.
"Nearly one in four adults living with diabetes – 7.2 million Americans – didn’t know they had the condition," the report noted.
The only good news that came out of the study was that despite the scary statistics, cases weren’t turning up as often as prior research suggested.
"Although these findings reveal some progress in diabetes management and prevention," Brenda Fitzgerald, CDC director, said in a statement. "There are still too many Americans with diabetes and prediabetes."
Diabetes, overall, can be easily managed through diet and exercise in order to control one’s A1C levels, which measures the amount of glucose, or blood sugar, in your blood stream.
The highest rates of diabetes were found in the American south and Appalachian areas.
"Now, more than ever, we must step up our efforts to reduce the burden of this serious disease," added Fitzgerald.
