In the United States, some 21 million people (7 percent of the population) suffer from diabetes mellitus. Every year, some 1.5 million people learn they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus kills more than 73,000 U.S. residents each year, making it the sixth leading cause of all deaths resulting from disease. In addition, diabetes is a contributing factor in many deaths from heart disease, kidney failure, and other conditions. Overall, experts estimate that diabetes contributes to about 225,000 deaths annually in the United States. In Canada, approximately 2.5 million residents (about 6 percent of the population) have diabetes mellitus. The disease ranks as the seventh leading cause of death in Canada, where it kills about 6,000 people a year. Diabetes and its complications contribute to about 25,000 deaths in Canada annually.
Diabetes is most common in adults over 45 years of age; in people who are overweight or physically inactive; in individuals who have an immediate family member with diabetes; and in people of African, Hispanic, and Native American descent. The highest rate of diabetes in the world occurs in Native Americans. More women than men have been diagnosed with the disease.
In diabetes mellitus low insulin levels or poor response to insulin prevent cells from absorbing glucose. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood. When glucose-laden blood passes through the kidneys, the organs that remove blood impurities, the kidneys cannot absorb all of the excess glucose. This excess glucose spills into the urine, accompanied by water and electrolytes—ions required by cells to regulate the electric charge and flow of water molecules across the cell membrane. This causes frequent urination to get rid of the additional water drawn into the urine; excessive thirst to trigger replacement of lost water; and hunger to replace the glucose lost in urination. Additional symptoms may include blurred vision, dramatic weight loss, irritability, weakness and fatigue, and nausea and vomiting
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